Mariner 10, launched November 3, 1973, became the first spacecraft to encounter Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun. It made ultraviolet observations of Comet Kohoutek in January 1974 and passed Venus February 5. It made its first flyby of Mercury March 29, 1974. The second was September 21 and the third (and last) March 16, 1975.
1974 is another year that I cannot pick one favorite out of so many good ones, so I chose my top 4 plus an "honorable mention". In just these five films, I think everybody in Hollywood made it onto the screen. Each one has a stellar cast, whether comedy, drama or action. How many actors and actresses can we name that did NOT appear in one of these!
Yesterday, The Donald signed an executive order, telling the Environmental Protection Agency to reverse its course on the Clean Power Plan which President Obama put in place to reduce greenhouse gases from power plants. According to the New York Times, The Donald said coal miners were going back to work.
This was part of The Donald's campaign promises but many say it is not going to work. First of all, the demand for coal has been declining as (cheaper) natural gas and renewable energy sources are on the rise. No energy company has plans to build new coal-burning plants, so The Donald's promises are just going to be hot air. Like many of his other campaign "promises". The move may save coal mining jobs from being eliminated, but not created.
The U.S. had signed the Paris Agreement in 2015 as part of a global effort to reduce carbon emissions and slow global warming. The New York Times reports that the U.S. is the second biggest polluter in the world, so what will happen if The Donald takes us out of it?
The U.S. might become the world's biggest polluter! Is that what The Donald meant by making America "great" again?
Beautiful and talented Marina Sirtis, born March 29, 1955 in London, is best known to us Trekkies as Counselor Deanna Troi on Star Trek: The Next Generation. After auditioning for Star Trek, she was planning to fly back to London, but got the call that she had been given the role of Counselor Troi right before boarding the plane. All about that timing!
Reba McEntire, one of the goddesses of country music, celebrates her birthday today. Born March 28, 1955 in McAlester, Oklahoma, she graduated from Kiowa High School and attended Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, before starting her music career.
To date she has released over 30 albums, won 7 Academy of Country Music awards for Top Female Vocalist, and 12 American Music Awards for Favorite Country Female Artist of the Year.
Venera 8, the Soviet lander, was launched March 27, 1972 and made a successful landing on Venus July 22. It transmitted during its descent and continued to transmit for just over 50 minutes after landing. It confirmed the high temperatures and high pressures discovered by Venera 7 about a year and a half earlier.
Venera 8 showed that the Venusian clouds end at a high altitude and the atmosphere is mostly clear at ground level.
