This Day In History : August 28

1964 United States

US weather satellite Nimbus 1 launched

The US weather satellite Nimbus 1 was launched on August 28, 1964. This was the first in a series of Nimbus satellites designed to collect meteorological data and test advanced weather observation systems. Nimbus 1 provided valuable information on the Earth's atmosphere, cloud cover, and surface temperatures, contributing significantly to the development of modern weather forecasting and environmental monitoring.

Also on This Day in History August 28

Discover what happened on August 28 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.

Births on This Day, August 28
  • 1749 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

    German poet, zoologist, botanist and geologist who was both famous in world literature and an intellectual with an interest in science.

  • 1801 Antoine-Augustin Cournot

    French economist and mathematician, who was the first economist who applied mathematics to the treatment of economic questions.

  • 1867 Maxime Bôcher

    American mathematician whose reputation was built upon both his teaching and his research in differential equations, series, and higher algebra.

  • 1919 Godfrey Newbold Hounsfield

    English electrical engineer who shared the 1979 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine (with Allan Cormack) for creation of computerised axial tomography (CAT) scanners.

  • 1863 Andre-Eugene Blondel

    André-Eugène Blondel was a French physicist who invented (1893) the electromagnetic oscillograph, a device that allowed electrical researchers to observe the intensity of alternating currents.

Deaths on This Day, August 28
  • 2007 Paul MacCready

    Paul Beattie MacCready was an American engineer and inventor who invented not only the first human-powered flying machines, but also the first solar-powered aircraft to make sustained flights.

  • 1942 Arthur Nicolaier

    German physician and bacteriologist who discovered the tetanus bacterium in 1884.

  • 1893 Hayward A. Harvey

    Hayward Augustus Harvey was an American inventor who discovered the modern method of strengthening armour plating.

  • 1934 T. W. Edgeworth David

    Tannatt William Edgeworth David was a Welsh-Australian geologist who produced an extensive study of the geology of Australia, including the first geological map of the Sydney-Newcastle Basin.

  • 1996 Harald Norlin Johnson

    American microbiologist who researched arthropod-borne viral diseases such as rabies and encephalitis.

1640

Battle of Newburn

1640 Second Bishop's War: King Charles I's English army loses to a Scottish Covenanter force at the Battle of Newburn
1884

1st Photograph of a Tornado

1884 First known photograph of a tornado is made near Howard, South Dakota
1993

A picture was taken showing the first moon of an asteroid

In 1993, a picture was taken showing the first moon of an asteroid. This significant image was captured by the Galileo spacecraft on August 28, 1993. The photo revealed a small moon orbiting the asteroid Ida, later named Dactyl. This discovery was groundbreaking as it provided the first evidence that asteroids could have natural satellites, expanding our understanding of the complexity and diversity of bodies within our solar system.
1609

Henry Hudson discovers and explores Delaware Bay

Henry Hudson discovered and explored Delaware Bay on August 28, 1609. During his third voyage, while seeking a northwest passage to Asia under the employment of the Dutch East India Company, Hudson and his crew sailed into what is now known as Delaware Bay. This exploration contributed to the European knowledge of the North American coastline and played a role in the eventual Dutch claims to the region.
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