Showing posts with label Netherlands. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Netherlands. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Donna Summer releases first album "Lady of the Night" 1974


Donna Summer released her debut album Lady of the Night in the Netherlands, February 26, 1974.  She had been "discovered" by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte while she was singing backing vocals for Three Dog Night.  They approached her about recording her own album.

The Hostage was the first single released and entered the top three charts in Belgium and Spain.  Lady of the Night hit the top ten in Austria.  The album did not chart.


Thursday, December 29, 2022

Bion 10 (Kosmos 2229) launched 1992


 

Bion 10, or Kosmos 2229, a Russian spacecraft as part of a multinational effort, was launched December 29, 1992.  It carried two monkeys, plants, cell cultures, insects, and amphibians. The Rhesus monkeys were trained to activate food and juice dispensers, to operate a foot pedal to study muscles responses, and to make hand and head movements in response to visual stimuli.

The countries involved were Canada, France, Germany, Lithuania, Netherlands, China, Russia, Ukraine, US, Uzbekistan, and the European Space Agency.

The spacecraft orbited Earth for almost 12 days, before landing successfully on January 10, 1993.

Thursday, December 15, 2022

ABBA releases "Happy New Year" 1980



Happy New Year, the fourth single released from Super Trouper, ABBA's seventh studio album, was released December 15, 1980.  Its original release was limited but when it was re-released in 1999 for the new millennium, it reached #27 in Sweden and #15 in the Netherlands.

It was re-re-released in 2008 and made it to #4 in Sweden, and #5 in 2009. According to wikipedia, the song is a staple of the new year in Vietnam.


Saturday, November 5, 2022

Happy birthday, Famke Janssen!



Famke Janssen, born November 5, 1964 in the Netherlands, is probably best known for her performance as Jean Grey in the X-Men movies.  She began as a model in New York City and then later became an actress.  She appeared in four of the movies.

She appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation episode The Perfect Mate with Patrick Stewart, who plays Professor Xavier in the X-Men movies! 

She won a Saturn Award (Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films) in 2007 for her performance in X-Men: The Last Stand.  She wrote and directed Bringing Up Bobby, a comedy set and filmed in Oklahoma. 

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Remembering Astronaut Lodewijk van den Berg (1932-2022)


Our heroes seem to be dropping all around us.  First Angela Lansbury, then Apollo astronaut James McDivitt, and now, first Dutch-born astronaut Lodewijk van den Berg passed away October 16 at the age of 90. He was born March 24, 1932 in the Netherlands, but was a naturalized American citizen when he went into space and no longer a Dutch citizen.

He went into space aboard Challenger (STS-51-B) in April-May 1985 as a payload specialist.  He was responsible for the Vapor Crystal Growth System experiment.  After returning to Earth, he continued work on crystal growth, even when he was 72.

An asteroid was named after him and is known as 11430 Lodewijkberg.  He passed away in Florida, but no cause of death has been cited.


Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Happy birthday, Dutch astronaut Lodewijk van den Berg!


Lodewijk van den Berg, born March 24, 1932 in the Netherlands, went into space aboard Challenger (STS-51-B) as payload specialist in April-May 1985.  Although he was born in the Netherlands, he had become an American citizen by the time he went into space.  


Friday, October 2, 2020

Pointer Sisters release "Fire" 1978




My girls the Pointer Sisters released their cover of Bruce Springsteen's Fire, October 2, 1978, with Anita taking the lead.  It became their first gold single and was an international hit, reaching #1 in Belgium, the Netherlands, South Africa and New Zealand.  It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

It was released prior to their album Energy, their fifth studio album, in November 1978.  


Thursday, July 30, 2020

Happy birthday, Mr. Homn!


Carel Struycken, born July 30, 1948 in the Hague, Netherlands, has appeared as Lurch in the Addams Family movies and, most notably, Mr. Homn, valet to Lwaxana Troi on Star Trek: The Next Generation.  He appeared five episodes. 

He also appeared in an episode of Babylon 5 and Star Trek: Voyager.  He stands 7 feet tall!


Thursday, October 18, 2018

Soyuz TMA-3 launched 2003

Soyuz TMA-3 crew (L-R): Pedro Duque, Aleksandr Kaleri, Michael Foale

Mission patch

Soyuz TMA-3, launched October 18, 2003, was the seventh trip to the International Space Station.  Its crew consisted of Commander Aleksandr Kaleri (Roscosmos), Michael Foale (British astronaut, NASA) and Pedro Duque (Spanish astronaut, ESA).  Kaleri and Foale were part of Expedition 8, but Pedro Duque returned on Soyuz TMA-2 about a week later. 

Kaleri and Foale returned to Earth in April 2004 with Andre Kuipers (Dutch astronaut, ESA) after more than 194 days.

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Wubbo Ockels, first Dutch astronaut, born 1946


Wubbo Ockels, born March 28, 1946 in the Netherlands, was the first Dutch citizen in space.  He flew aboard Challenger (STS-61-A) October-November 1985, as a payload specialist.  The mission was funded and directed by West Germany, and carried two Germans Reinhard Furrer and Ernst Messerschmid.

It was Ockels only trip into space.  He passed away from kidney cancer in May 2014.

Thursday, October 5, 2017

Happy birthday, Dutch astronaut André Kuipers


Andre Kuipers, born October 5, 1958 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, is the second Dutch citizen and the third Dutch-born astronaut in space.  The first Dutch-born astronaut, Lodewijk van den Berg was born in Zeeland but had become a U.S. citizen when he flew on the Space Shuttle, so was no longer a Dutch citizen. 

Kuipers was accepted into the ESA Astronaut Corps in 1998.  His first trip into space was aboard Soyuz TMA-4 in April 2004 to the International Space Station.  He conducted 21 experiments in just 11 days before returning to Earth aboard Soyuz TMA-3.

He returned to space December 2011 aboard Soyuz TMA-03M to the ISS as the Flight Engineer and Medical Crew Officer.  He remained until July 1, 2012 when he returned to Earth.


Wednesday, August 30, 2017

The Netherlands enter the Space Race 1974


August 30, 1974, the Netherlands launched their first satellite, Astronomical Netherlands Satellite or ANS (I know.  Kinda mundane).  The program was jointly funded by the Netherlands Institute for
Space Research and NASA and ran for 20 months, ending in June 1976.

Launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, ANS carried an X-ray detector and an ultraviolet telescope.


Friday, July 23, 2010

Adonises in Amsterdam

At the port of Amsterdam mooring the Prinsendam.





Delivering Heineken.







Our sexy waiter Daniel.

Day 17 (cont.) - Oude Kirk, Amsterdam

The Oude Kirk is a medieval church in the heart of Amsterdam.




















Many graves were beneath the floor dating from the sixteenth century. There is a movement to restore the church since the graves are in danger of being erased by centuries of people walking over them.







The grave of Rembrandt's wife Saskia in 1642.
























This grave dates back to 1573.







For 6 Euros you could take a tour of the tower of Oude Kirk. This is a door in the tower where the bell ringers were. They could open it to hear the preacher or the organist so they would know when to ring the bells during church.









This bell has been here since 1659. It weighs 3700 kg, a little over 4 tons. The clacker is made of manganese, a soft metal so it won't damage the bell.



The view of Amsterdam from the tower.































The 'music box'. It played a short tune every hour. It's playing here.