This Day In History : October 18

2019 United States

The first all female spacewalk

On October 18, 2019, NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Christina Koch conducted the first all-female spacewalk. They ventured outside the International Space Station (ISS) to replace a failed power controller. This milestone event marked a significant achievement in space exploration, highlighting the capabilities and contributions of women in the field of astronautics.

Also on This Day in History October 18

Discover what happened on October 18 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.

Births on This Day, October 18
  • 1902 Pascual Jordan

    German physicist who co-founded quantum mechanics using matrix methods

  • 1799 Christian Friedrich Schönbein

    German-Swiss chemist who discovered and named ozone (1840) and was the first to describe guncotton (nitrocellulose)

  • 1787 Robert Livingston Stevens

    U.S. engineer and ship designer who invented the inverted-T railroad rail and the railroad spike

  • 1925 Thomas Millar

    Australian historian and political scientist

  • 1960 Jean-Claude Van Damme

    Belgian martial artist, actor, director

Deaths on This Day, October 18
  • 1871 Charles Babbage

    British mathematician and inventor (calculating machine) considered the "father of the computer"

  • 1931 Thomas Edison

    American inventor (lightbulb, phonograph, motion picture camera)

  • 1966 Elizabeth Arden

    Canadian-American businesswoman who founded Elizabeth Arden, Inc.

  • 1932 William E. Upjohn

    American physician who invented dissolvable pills (Upjohn Pharmaceutical Company)

  • 1956 Charles Strite

    American inventor who invented the automatic pop-up toaster

1967

First Space Probe to Enter the Atmosphere of Another Planet

The first space probe to enter the atmosphere of another planet was the Soviet Venera 4 probe. It was launched on June 12, 1967, and successfully entered the atmosphere of Venus on October 18, 1967. Venera 4 transmitted data back to Earth during its descent through Venus' atmosphere, providing valuable information about the composition and temperature of the atmosphere. This historic mission marked the first time humans obtained direct measurements from another planet's atmosphere.
1989

Jupiter orbiter Galileo launched

The Galileo spacecraft was launched by NASA aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis (mission STS-34) on October 18, 1989. Its primary mission was to study Jupiter and its moons, particularly Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, and Io. Galileo carried an array of scientific instruments, including cameras, spectrometers, magnetometers, and a radar instrument.
1878

Edison made electricity available for household usage

In 1878, Thomas Edison demonstrated the practical use of electricity for household purposes by creating a system of electric lighting. This demonstration marked a crucial step in the development of electric power distribution and laid the foundation for widespread adoption of electricity in homes and businesses.
1648

Shoemakers of Boston form the first American labor organization

In 1648, a group of shoemakers in Boston, Massachusetts, came together to form what is recognized as the first American labor organization, known as the Federal Society of Journeymen Cordwainers. This organization was established to advocate for better working conditions, fair wages, and standards in the shoemaking industry. It represented one of the earliest instances of workers in the United States organizing collectively to address their common concerns and interests.
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