Happy birthday, space tourist Mark Shuttleworth!

Mark Shuttleworth, born September 18, 1973 in South Africa, is the first African from an independent country to travel to space. He launched aboard Soyuz TM-34 in April 2002 as a space tourist to the International Space Station, and returned to Earth aboard Soyuz TM-33 in May 2002, having spent almost 10 days in space.

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.  

Soyuz TM-34, with first South African in space, launched 2002

Crew (L-R): Yuri Gidzenko, Mark Shuttleworth, Roberto Vittori

Soyuz TM-34, launched April 25, 2002, was the fourth Soyuz mission to the International Space Station and carried the first South African into space.  Its crew consisted of Commander Yuri Gidzenko (Roscomos) and Roberto Vittori (European Space Agency).  Mark Shuttleworth, a space tourist from South Africa, the first from that country in space, was the second self-funded space tourist.

All three returned home on May 5 on Soyuz TM-33.