On This Day - April 12th

Featured Event:

Launch of first space shuttle (1981) 🚀

On this day in 1981, NASA launched the first space shuttle, Columbia, which was designed to orbit Earth, transport people and cargo to and from orbiting spacecraft, and glide to a runway landing on its return to Earth.

Other Events:

1606: The Union Flag, precursor to the Union Jack, was adopted as the national flag of Great Britain. 🇬🇧

1892: A patent for the first portable typewriter was issued in the United States. ✒️

1961: Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in outer space. 🌌

1983: Harold Washington was elected the first African American mayor of Chicago. 🤵🏿‍♂️

Holidays:

Children's Day 🇧🇴

Halifax Day 🇺🇸 (North Carolina)

National Redemption Day 🇱🇷

Featured Birthdays:

1932: Tiny Tim 🇺🇸 (Singer)

1941: Bobby Moore 🇬🇧 (Football Player)

1942: Jacob Zuma 🇿🇦 (Ex-President)

1947: David Letterman 🇺🇸 (Talk-Show Host)

Featured Deaths:

1945: Franklin D. Roosevelt 🇺🇸 (32nd President)

1981: Joe Louis 🇺🇸 (Boxer)

1989: Sugar Ray Robinson 🇺🇸 (Boxer)