This Day In History : September 30

1994 United States

Space shuttle STS-68 (Endeavour 7), launches into orbit

On September 30, 1994, NASA launched the Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-68. This was the seventh flight of the shuttle Endeavour. The mission's primary objective was to continue radar imaging of the Earth as part of the Space Radar Laboratory (SRL-2) experiments. The launch from Kennedy Space Center marked another successful mission aimed at advancing Earth observation and environmental research.

Also on This Day in History September 30

Discover what happened on September 30 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.

Births on This Day, September 30
  • 1832 Ann Jarvis

    American activist who co-founded Mother's Day

  • 1882 Charles Lawrance

    American aeronautical engineer who designed the first successful air-cooled aircraft engine

  • 1861 William Wrigley Jr

    American businessman who founded Wrigley Company

  • 1802 Antoine J. Balard

    French chemist who in 1826 discovered the element bromine

  • 1882 Hans Geiger

    German physicist (co-inventor of the Geiger counter)

Deaths on This Day, September 30
  • 2014 Martin Perl

    American physicist (1995 Nobel Prize for Physics for discovery of the tau lepton particle)

  • 1958 Niels Bjerrum

    Danish chemist (ph-stipulation)

  • 1959 Ross Granville Harrison

    American Biologist and Zoologist (organ transplant pioneer)

  • 1985 Herbert Bayer

    Austrian-American Bauhaus trained graphic artist (invented Universal typeface), photographer and designer

  • 1989 William Fairbank

    American physicist (superconductivity)

1966

Botswana becomes independent

Botswana, formerly a British protectorate known as Bechuanaland, gained independence on September 30, 1966. Seretse Khama, who later became the first President of Botswana, played a significant role in the country's independence movement. The peaceful transition to independence marked a significant milestone for Botswana, which has since become one of Africa's stable democracies with a growing economy based largely on diamond mining and tourism.
1906

First international ballon race

The first international balloon race took place on September 30, 1906, from Paris, France. It was a historic event that saw participants from several countries competing in a race that showcased the growing popularity and technological advancements in hot air ballooning during that era.
1882

The Appleton Edison Light Company, Thomas Edison's first commercial hydroelectric power plant starts operation

On September 30, 1882, the Appleton Edison Light Company in Appleton, Wisconsin, USA, began operation as Thomas Edison's first commercial hydroelectric power plant. This milestone marked a significant advancement in the application of hydroelectric power for commercial use. The plant utilized the energy from the Fox River to generate electricity, which was then used to power lights in the Appleton Paper and Pulp Company, the Vulcan Paper Mill, and a nearby residence.
1980

Ethernet specifications published by Xerox working with Intel and Digital Equipment Corporation

In 1980, Xerox, working with Intel and Digital Equipment Corporation, published the first Ethernet specifications, establishing the standards for network communications that would become widely adopted in the industry.
Holiday
Special day
Discover invention