History tells us the folklores of the Human race. Today at Brag Social we bring you the stories that get lost and forgotten sometimes. It is a reminder of how far we came and what we have achieved in the process. March 4 holds significant importance in the field of science. We will explore astronomy with John Flamsteed and celebrate the victory of science with Pioneer IV and Joseph E. Murray. We will take a tour of Antarctica and breathtaking Masaya Volcanos. So, let’s celebrate these achievements with Brag Social.
1675: John Flamsteed appointed 1st Astronomer Royal of England
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King Charles II appointed John Flamsteed as the first astronomer royal of England on March 4, 1675. Due to the success of John Flamsteed, clock-makers like Harrison were able to develop an accurate device to calculate longitude. As Royal Astronomer, his main task was the mapping of stars. However, he calculated the solar eclipse (1666 and 1668) and spotted Uranus on several occasions but he assumed that it was a star. He was also part of the Newton and Halley controversy. Issac Newton and his colleagues wanted Flamsteed to publish his work. But Flamsteed wanted to wait. When Edmund Halley got hold of Flmasteed’s work, he published it as his own. Later when Flamsteed was able to buy back the copies of stolen data, he burned them all in front of Royal Observatory. After retirement, he became a pastor of Burstow in Surrey.
1877: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s ballet “Swan Lake” has its world premiere, performed by the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow
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The ‘Swan Lake’ premiered at Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow on March 4, 1877. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky composed ‘Swan Lake’. He later also wrote and composed ‘The Sleeping Beauty’ and ‘The Nutcracker’. It is hard to tell what inspired him to write the play but may say his fascination with Bavarian King Ludwig II was the main source of his inspiration for lead character Odette, Prince Siegfried. The critics at that time were not impressed by the ballet but little did they knew that ‘Swan Lake’ would become the most popular ballet of all time.
1936: 1st flight of the airship Hindenburg at Friedrichshafen, Germany
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Hindenburg was commercial passenger-carrying aircraft developed by Zepplin Company. On March 4, 1936, Hindenburg made a test flight from the Zeppelin dockyards at Friedrichshafen carrying 87 passengers.
1954: Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, announces the first successful kidney transplant.
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March 4, 1954, was a revolutionary day in the field of medicines. The first successful kidney transplant between two twins happened at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Joseph E. Murray and his colleagues performed the transplant. He also received a Nobel Prize in Medicine.
1959: US Pioneer IV misses Moon & becomes 2nd (US 1st) artificial planet
The US as a part of its Pioneer Program on the Lunar flyby trajectory launched Pioneer IV. The main aim to photograph the moon during the flyby but it was not able to achieve that. Rather, it became the first spacecraft of the US to escape earth’s gravity, and its the first probe to enter the heliocentric orbit. The major difference between Pioneer 3 and Pioneer 4 is the monitor to measure the voltage of the main radio transmitter. However, the spacecraft was able to deliver extremely good data on Van Allen Belts.
1962: AEC announces 1st atomic power plant in Antarctica in operation
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Surprised?
On March 1, 1962, the US set up an atomic power plant in Antarctica. Although today this idea would be considered extremely dangerous, especially after Chernobyl. But in 1962 nuclear power was considered safe and cost-effective. The nuclear power station is set up at McMurdo Station which is the largest research base in Antarctica. However, after 10 years of operation, they decommissioned it in 1972. It was the result of an international treaty to avoid nuclear weapon testing and nuclear waste dumping in Antarctica.
2020: Former Daredevil Nik Wallenda is the first person to walk over the Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua
Nik Wallenda, the famous daredevil tightrope artist walked above an active volcano on live television. He took 30 minutes to complete this heart-stopping stunt. On March 1, 2020, He became the first person to walk 1,800 feet on a steel cable over Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua.
