It was on this day in 2001 that Dennis Tito rode a Russian Soyuz to the International Space Station, becoming the first person in space who paid for a trip into outer space. He holds degrees in Astronautics, Aeronautics, and Engineering Science & had also worked at the Jet Propulsion Lab for NASA. However, it wasn’t until he changed careers into investment management and consulting that he was able to fulfill his longtime desire to fly to outer space. $20 million was his cost for the 8-day visit into zero gravity. A recent news article states that there are several companies looking to ferry tourists into space, with trips to the moon possibly being available as soon as 2014.
The earliest event that Wiki mentions for this day is “1192 – Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I), King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title to the throne is confirmed by election. The killing is carried out by Hashshashin” and the most recent is “2008 – A train collision in Shandong, China, kills 72 people and injures 416 more.“
Some other things that happened on this day include:
1789 – Crew of the HMS Bounty commits mutiny.
1914 – Air conditioner patented by W.H. Carrier.
1945 – Mussolini executed by his own citizens.
Happy birthday to Jay Leno, Ann-Margret, Elena Kagan, Jorge Garcia, and Harper Lee.