The significance of history is not confined to the mere events that occurred in the past but it also establishes a connection to the present day. The past plays an extremely vital role in shaping the present because the decisions of yesterday can change the destiny of today. History is a story that teaches us about the past mistakes and the wise actions that brought great accomplishments. They are the lessons we learn from others for ages to come. It is not just about who we were and where we came from but also what we want to become and where we want to go from this day onward. Let us read the historical milestones of August 8.
1786 – Jacques Balmat and Dr. Michel-Gabriel Paccard become the first men to climb Mont Blanc in France.
After hundreds of failed attempts by dozens of aspiring mountaineers, Frenchmen Michael Gabriel Paccard and Jacques Balmat made history when they became the first people to reach the summit of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps. Mont Blanc is 15,711 feet above sea level and is ranked No. 11 in the world in topographic prominence. This accomplishment is still considered historic and a watershed moment in mountaineering.
1876 – Thomas Edison patents the mimeograph.
Mimeograph is a duplicator for making many copies that utilize a stencil through which ink is pressed. Thomas Edison received a US patent for Auto-graphic Printing today in 1876. The patent covered the electric pen, which was used for making the stencil, and the flatbed duplicating press. The word mimeograph was first used by Albert Blake Dick when he licensed Edison’s patents in 1887.
1899 – The first household refrigerating machine is patented.
The U.S. sells over eight million refrigerators every year. Before the invention of refrigerators, people used ice or water to preserve food. Rivers and lakes were the main sources of ice harvesting. Refrigerators have a heat pump and an insulated compartment that transfers heat from inside to the outside of the refrigerators, hence, making the fridge colder. The first refrigerator patent was issued to Albert T. Marshall. It included an automatic motor cut-off in case it was needed, and a means for automatically regulating the water used for cooling the refrigerant.
1989 – NASA Space Shuttle Columbia begins its eighth flight, NASA’s 30th shuttle mission.
The Space Shuttle Columbia was the first space-rated orbiter in NASA’s Space Shuttle fleet. STS-28 was the 30th NASA Space Shuttle mission, the fourth shuttle mission dedicated to the United States Department of Defense purposes, and the eighth flight of Space Shuttle Columbia. It traveled 2.1 million miles during 81 orbits of the Earth, before landing on Edwards Air Force Base, California. During STS-28, Columbia deployed two satellites called the USA-40 and USA-41.
