Venera 1 Flies by Venus: Humanity Touches Another World
Venera 1 became the first human artifact to fly past another world, slicing through space near Venus despite losing contact with Earth a month prior. This silent journey proved that spacecraft could survive the trip to neighboring planets, launching an era of robotic exploration that would eventually map the hellish surface of our closest neighbor.
May 19, 1961
65 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on May 19
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John II of Castile crushed the forces of the Infantes of Aragon at the First Battle of Olmedo, ending their long-standing interference in Castilian governance. …
The signatures happened on a Sunday in May, 2,300 miles apart. Catherine stood before lawyers in a Spanish church while a proxy held Arthur's portrait. Arthur d…
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