Tag Archives: firsts

August 9, 1956

Posted on August 9, 2020 by Joel Byers

On August 9, 1956, the first statewide, state-supported educational network went on the air in Alabama. WBIQ in Birmingham and WAIQ in Andalusia started airing programs as members of the Alabama Educational Television Commission. Several important programs were broadcast to … Continue reading →

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July 27, 1377

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Joel Byers

On July 27, 1377, the first example of a quarantine occurred in the city of Rugusa, which is now Dubroknik, Croatia. The city council passed a law that required newcomers from plague areas to isolate for 30 days, and then … Continue reading →

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July 22, 1898

Posted on July 22, 2020 by Joel Byers

On July 22, 1898, the crew of the RV Belgica saw its first sunrise in over 1,600 hours. They had become the first crew to successfully endure an Antarctica winter. The Belgica had been purchased by Adrien de Gerlache and … Continue reading →

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June 24, 1128

Posted on June 24, 2020 by Joel Byers

On June 24, 1128, Afonso I of Portugal had a day. If you’ve ever thought your relationship with your mother was bad, just be thankful it was nothing like the stab in the gut between Afonso I and his mother, Countess Teresa of… Continue reading →

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June 15, 1667

Posted on June 15, 2020 by Joel Byers

On June 15, 1667, French physician and scientist, Jean-Baptiste Denys, successfully administered the first documented case of blood transfusion into a human. He transfused twelve ounces of sheep’s blood into a 15-year old… Continue reading →

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May 5, 1809

Posted on May 5, 2020 by Joel Byers

On May 5, 1809, Mary Kies of Connecticut was the first American woman to be issued a patent. It was for the technique she came up with for weaving straw with silk and thread to make hats. Johann Fischart Rumpelstiltskin … Continue reading →

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March 1, 1901

Posted on March 1, 2020 by Joel Byers

On March 1, 1901, the Australian Army was formed. It was later used to fight both Emus and Kangaroos. It lost both of these wars. The Emus actually sent a message to the Aussies after beating them in 1932. That … Continue reading →

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November 29, 1961

Posted on November 29, 2019 by Joel Byers

On November 29, 1961, Enos, an American chimpanzee was launched into space by NASA. He was the third hominid and first chimpanzee to achieve Earth orbit. The first two hominids were Soviet astronauts Yuri Gagarin and Gherman Titov. The Americans … Continue reading →

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November 28, 1967

Posted on November 28, 2019 by Joel Byers

On November 28, 1967, British Cambridge University postgraduate Jocelyn Bell Burnell and her supervisor Antony Hewish detected the first radio pulsars. Proving once again that a woman’s hearing is significantly better than most men’s. In fact, it was said that … Continue reading →

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November 18, 1820

Posted on November 18, 2019 by Joel Byers

On November 18, 1820, Captain Nathaniel Palmer became the first American to sight the continent of Antarctica. He did not see the Ice Wall surrounding the Earth, space aliens, or other-dimensional demons thumbing for a ride to the southern most … Continue reading →

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