This Day In History : April 24

1970 China

China's First Satellite Launch Transmits "East is Red"

On April 24, 1970, the People's Republic of China launched its first satellite, Dong Fang Hong 1, which transmitted the song "East is Red." This launch marked China's entry into space exploration. The satellite orbited the Earth, broadcasting the song to signify China's technological achievements. This event established China as the fifth nation to achieve independent satellite launch capability.

Also on This Day in History April 24

Discover what happened on April 24 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.

Births on This Day, April 24
  • 1620 John Graunt

    English statistician who is considered by many historians to have founded the science of demography (statistical study of human populations).

  • 1903 Siegfried F. Nadel

    Austrian-British anthropologist whose investigations of African ethnology led him to explore theoretical questions.

  • 1817 Jean Charles Marignac

    Swiss chemist whose life work consisted of making many precise determinations of atomic weights suggested the possibility of isotopes and the packing fraction of nuclei.

  • 1905 Robert Porter Allen

    American author and conservationist recognized for saving the whooping crane from extinction by discovering (1955) the nesting ground of the sole remaining flock near the Arctic Circle.

  • 1897 Benjamin Whorf

    American anthropologist and linguist, who originally trained as a chemical engineer (1918), and began work as a fire prevention engineer.

Deaths on This Day, April 24
  • 1967 Vladimir Mikhaylovich Komarov

    Soviet cosmonaut who was the first man known to have died during a space mission.

  • 1900 Andrew Smith Hallidie

    English-American engineer and inventor who built the cable car system first used on the steep hills of San Francisco streets (1 Aug 1873).

  • 1952 Hendrik Anthony Kramers

    Dutch physicist who, with Ralph de Laer Kronig, derived important equations relating the absorption to the dispersion of light.

  • 1964 Gerhard Domagk

    German bacteriologist and pathologist who was awarded the 1939 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his discovery (announced in 1932) of the antibacterial effects of Prontosil, the first of the sulfonamide drugs.

  • 1942 Leonid Kulik

    Russian mineralogist who conducted the first scientific expedition (for which records survive) to study the Tungusta meteor impact site.

1990

Hubble Space Telescope

In 1990, space shuttle Discover was launched from Cape Canaveral, carrying the Hubble Space Telescope to be placed into orbit.
1913

The Woolworth Building Skyscraper Opens in NYC

On April 24, 1913, the Woolworth Building skyscraper in New York City was opened. Standing at 792 feet, it was the tallest building in the world at the time. Designed by architect Cass Gilbert, the building became an iconic symbol of early 20th-century skyscraper construction. It remains a significant landmark in New York City.
2023

India Surpasses China as World's Most Populous Country

On April 14, 2023, India surpassed China to become the world's most populous country according to UN estimates, with a population of 1,425,775,850 people. Projections suggest that India's population will continue to grow, potentially reaching 1.7 billion by 2064. This demographic shift has significant implications for global economics, politics, and resource management.
1996

U.S. Passes Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996

On April 24, 1996, the United States passed the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act. This law was designed to deter terrorism and streamline the process of executing the death penalty. It introduced stricter penalties for terrorist activities and limited habeas corpus appeals, significantly impacting the legal landscape.
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