History: January 24 (#5)

History: January 24 (#5)
Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA
January 24, 1978 Soviet satellite Kosmos 954, with a nuclear reactor on board, burns up in Earth's atmosphere, scattering radioactive debris over Canada's Northwest Territories. Only 1% is recovered.

Commentary

Commentary

On January 24, in the year 1978: Soviet satellite Ko smos 954, with a nuclear reactor on board, burns up in Earth's atmosphere, scattering radioactive debris over Canada's Northwest Territories. Only 1% is recovered. The Northwest Territories is a territory of Canada.

Commentary

Why January 24, 1978 matters: Soviet satellite Kosmos 954, with a nuclea r reactor on board, burns up in Earth's atmosphere, scattering radioactive debris over Canada's Northwest Territories. Only 1% is recovered. What began on this day left a lasting mark on history. The effects were felt immediately and continued to shape events, ideas, and lives long afterwards.

Commentary

Historical context: January 24, 1978 The 20th century brought change at a pace unprecedented in history: two world war s, the rise and fall of fascism and communism, decolonisation, the Cold War, the space race, and revolutions in science, technology, and human rights all compressed into one hundred years. The event on this day: Soviet satellite Kosmos 954, with a nuclear reactor on board, burns up in Earth's atmosphere, scattering radioactive debris over Canada's Northwest Territories. Only 1% is recovered. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Territories (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)