1902day.year
Peruvian explorer and farmer Agustín Lizárraga discovers Machu Picchu, the "Lost City of the Incas".
Peruvian farmer Agustín Lizárraga rediscovered Machu Picchu, bringing the 'Lost City of the Incas' to modern awareness.
On July 14, 1902, Agustín Lizárraga, a local explorer and farmer, came across the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu high in the Andes mountains. He noticed characteristic stone terraces and walls, carving his name into a rock as the first documented visitor in modern times. Although American historian Hiram Bingham later publicized the site, Lizárraga's discovery preceded his expedition by over a decade. Machu Picchu, built around the 15th century, remained hidden to outsiders until this chance encounter. The site's remarkable preservation amid dense vegetation offered insights into Inca engineering, agriculture, and urban planning. Today, Machu Picchu stands as a UNESCO World Heritage site and a symbol of Peru's rich cultural heritage.
1902
Agustín Lizárraga
Machu Picchu
Incas
1911day.year
Harry Atwood, an exhibition pilot for the Wright brothers, is greeted by President Taft after he lands his aeroplane on the South Lawn of the White House, having flown from Boston.
Pilot Harry Atwood concluded an exhibition flight from Boston by landing on the White House South Lawn and meeting President Taft.
On July 14, 1911, aviation pioneer Harry Atwood flew his Wright Model B biplane from Boston to Washington, D.C., covering over 800 miles in stages. His dramatic arrival on the South Lawn of the White House marked the first successful airplane landing at the presidential residence. President William Howard Taft personally greeted Atwood and praised the potential of powered flight for military and civilian applications. Atwood's journey showcased the rapid progress of early aviation technology and captured public imagination. Newspapers chronicled his stops and technical challenges, highlighting endurance and navigational skills. The event helped cement the Wright brothers' legacy and spurred interest in establishing formal airfields and pilot training programs.
1911
Harry Atwood
Wright brothers
President Taft
South Lawn of the White House
Boston
1933day.year
Nazi eugenics programme begins with the proclamation of the Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring requiring the compulsory sterilization of any citizen who suffers from alleged genetic disorders.
The Nazi eugenics programme begins with the Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring, mandating compulsory sterilization for alleged genetic disorders.
On July 14, 1933, the Nazi regime enacted the Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring, launching its eugenics programme.
The law authorized compulsory sterilization of individuals diagnosed with conditions deemed hereditary, such as schizophrenia, epilepsy, and physical deformities.
This policy reflected the Nazis’ pursuit of a 'pure' Aryan race and led to thousands of forced sterilizations.
Medical professionals were complicit, screening patients and carrying out sterilization procedures without consent.
The law’s passage marked one of the earliest systemic human rights abuses by the Third Reich.
It set a precedent for later atrocities, including the Holocaust and mass extermination programmes.
Nazi eugenics
Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring
compulsory sterilization
1960day.year
Jane Goodall arrives at the Gombe Stream Reserve in present-day Tanzania to begin her study of chimpanzees in the wild.
Jane Goodall began her pioneering study of wild chimpanzees at Tanzania’s Gombe Stream Reserve, revolutionizing primatology.
Jane Goodall arrived at the Gombe Stream Reserve on July 14, 1960, to begin an unprecedented study of chimpanzees in their natural habitat.
At the behest of anthropologist Louis Leakey, she lived in close proximity to the animals and documented their complex social behaviors.
Her observations of tool use, hunting techniques, and emotional interactions challenged existing scientific views.
Goodall’s work laid the foundation for modern primatology and deepened public awareness of wildlife conservation.
Her research station in Gombe has become a vital center for long-term studies and environmental advocacy.
Over the decades, she published influential works and inspired global efforts to protect chimpanzees and their ecosystems.
1960
Jane Goodall
Gombe Stream Reserve
Tanzania
chimpanzees
1965day.year
Mariner 4 flyby of Mars takes the first close-up photos of another planet. The photographs take approximately six hours to be transmitted back to Earth.
Mariner 4 performed the first close-up flyby of Mars, transmitting the planet’s first detailed images back to Earth.
Mariner 4 conducted the first successful flyby of Mars on July 14, 1965, sending back humanity’s initial close-up images of another planet.
The spacecraft captured 21 photographs over a period of eight minutes, revealing a cratered and moon-like Martian surface.
Data transmission to Earth took approximately six hours, using a primitive deep space communication network.
These images shattered popular notions of Martian canals and sparked new scientific inquiries into the planet’s geology and atmosphere.
Mariner 4’s achievements marked a turning point in space exploration and laid the groundwork for future robotic missions to the Red Planet.
The mission was celebrated worldwide as a triumph of Cold War–era technological innovation.
1965
Mariner 4
Mars
2015day.year
NASA's New Horizons probe performs the first flyby of Pluto, and thus completes the initial survey of the Solar System.
NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft completed the first-ever Pluto flyby, providing humanity with its initial close-up views of the dwarf planet.
NASA's New Horizons spacecraft executed the first flyby of Pluto on July 14, 2015, capturing unprecedented detail of the distant dwarf planet.
After a nine-year journey, the probe passed just 12,500 kilometers above Pluto's surface at speeds exceeding 50,000 kilometers per hour.
It transmitted high-resolution images revealing mountain ranges of water-ice, vast plains, and a tenuous atmosphere.
The mission completed humanity's initial reconnaissance of all classical planets in the Solar System.
Science teams continue to analyze the data, uncovering insights into Pluto's geology, climate, and formation history.
New Horizons has since embarked on an extended mission to study Kuiper Belt objects beyond Pluto.
2015
NASA
New Horizons
Pluto
Solar System