History: August 30 (#5)

History: August 30 (#5)
Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA
August 30, 1983 STS-8: The Space Shuttle Challenger takes off on the first night launch of the shuttle program. Guion Bluford becomes the first African-American in space on this mission.

Commentary

Commentary

On August 30, in the year 1983: STS-8: The Space Shuttle Challenger takes off on the first night launch of the shuttle program. Guion Bluford becomes the first African-American in space on this mission.

Commentary

Why August 30, 1983 matters: STS-8: The Space Shuttle Challenger takes off on the first night launch of the shuttle program. Guion Bluford becomes the first African-American in space on this mission. 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: August 30, 1983 The 20th century brought change at a pace unprecedented in history: two world wars, 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: STS-8: The Space Shuttle Challenger takes off on the first night launch of the shuttle program. Guion Bluford becomes the first African-American in space on this mission. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guion_Bluford (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)