1910day.year
John Robertson Duigan makes the first flight of the Duigan pusher biplane, the first aircraft built in Australia.
Australian inventor John Robertson Duigan conducted the first flight of his pusher biplane, marking Australia’s entry into powered aviation.
On July 16, 1910, John Robertson Duigan successfully flew the Duigan pusher biplane near Melbourne, achieving the first powered flight in Australia. The aircraft, designed and built by Duigan and his brother, featured a single engine mounted behind the wings. During the historic flight, it covered several hundred meters at low altitude, showcasing pioneering aeronautical engineering. The success of this experiment inspired further aviation development within the country. Duigan’s achievement laid the groundwork for Australia’s future contributions to flight and aerospace innovation.
1910
John Robertson Duigan
Duigan pusher biplane
1945day.year
Manhattan Project: The Atomic Age begins when the United States successfully detonates a plutonium-based test nuclear weapon near Alamogordo, New Mexico.
The first atomic bomb test, known as Trinity, marked the dawn of the Atomic Age near Alamogordo, New Mexico.
On July 16, 1945, the U.S. Army’s Manhattan Project conducted the Trinity test in the New Mexico desert, detonating the world’s first plutonium-based nuclear device. The explosion yielded an energy equivalent to over 20 kilotons of TNT and created a mushroom cloud that soared 12 kilometers high. Project leader J. Robert Oppenheimer reflected on the event’s gravity, signaling the beginning of the Atomic Age. The success of Trinity directly influenced the decision to use atomic bombs against Japan, fundamentally altering global warfare and geopolitics. The test’s legacy endures in debates over nuclear weapons, deterrence, and peace.
1945
Manhattan Project
Atomic Age
successfully detonates
plutonium
nuclear weapon
Alamogordo, New Mexico
1969day.year
The Apollo 11 lunar landing mission is launched from Cape Kennedy in Florida, USA.
The Apollo 11 mission, the first manned voyage to the Moon, was launched from Cape Kennedy on July 16, 1969.
Apollo 11 lifted off from Cape Kennedy with astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins aboard. The mission marked the culmination of NASA's Apollo program and intense space race efforts. Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the lunar surface on July 20, making history as the first humans to walk on the Moon. The spacecraft safely returned to Earth on July 24, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. This mission demonstrated advanced rocketry, navigation, and life support systems under deep space conditions. Apollo 11 remains a symbol of human exploration and technological achievement.
1969
Apollo 11
Cape Kennedy
1994day.year
The comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 is destroyed in a head-on collision with Jupiter.
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 collided with Jupiter in July 1994, breaking apart in a spectacular cosmic event.
Discovered in 1993, Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 was captured by Jupiter's gravity and torn into fragments. Between July 16 and July 22, 1994, these fragments slashed through Jupiter's atmosphere, creating dark impact spots visible from Earth. The event provided the first direct observation of a planetary collision in our solar system. Astronomers worldwide tracked the impacts using telescopes and spacecraft, gathering data on impact dynamics and planetary atmospheres. The collision highlighted Jupiter's role as a cosmic shield for the inner solar system. Insights from Shoemaker-Levy 9 continue to influence studies of cometary behavior and impact risk assessment.
1994
Shoemaker-Levy 9
Jupiter