360What happened in 1966?
3 moments from 1966 on 360n60, each told in 60 words or fewer.
- On this day · 3 February 1966
Luna 9 makes the first soft landing on the Moon
On 3 February 1966, the Soviet probe Luna 9 became the first spacecraft to land gently on the Moon, on the Ocean of Storms. It sent back the first pictures from the lunar surface and showed that the ground was firm enough to support a lander, not covered in deep dust.
- On this day · 23 August 1966
The first photograph of Earth from the Moon
On 23 August 1966, NASA's Lunar Orbiter 1 took the first photograph of the Earth from near the Moon, showing a crescent Earth above the lunar horizon. Two years later, the Apollo 8 crew took the famous colour photograph 'Earthrise'.
- On this day · 8 September 1966
Star Trek is first broadcast
On 8 September 1966, the science-fiction television series Star Trek was first broadcast in the United States. Its crew, from many nations and backgrounds, explored space on the starship Enterprise. It lasted only three seasons but inspired films, new series and many future scientists and engineers.