837: A.D... Comet 1P/837 F1 (Halley's Comet) approaches within 0.0334 AUs of Earth.
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961: Radar tracking of planet Venus for 7 weeks by Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists had proved astronomical yardstick of 93,498,125 miles as the distance between the Earth and Sun (within 1,000 miles of error).
1837: The earliest known aeronautical experiment in Canada is conducted by Canadian schoolteacher John Rae. He successfully launches a paper balloon able to carry weight. Its lift is provided by the heating of its blackened surface by the sun.
1926: Lindberg becomes chief pilot for Robertson Aircraft Corp, flying a Saint Louis to Chicago mail route.
1945: The Luftwaffe flies its final sortie over the United Kingdom, a reconnaissance mission from Norway by an Arado Ar 234.
1960: BOAC resumes scheduled air service from London to Cairo (Egypt), suspended in October 1956 at the time of the Suez Crisis.
1964: First flight of the EWR VJ 101C, world's first supersonic V/STOL aircraft.
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1969: The Royal Norwegian Air Force is the first European air service to take delivery of the Lockheed P-3B Orion.
1981: Computer glitch keeps Space Shuttle Columbia grounded.
1984: Damaged Solar Max satellite snared by Challenger shuttle.
2010: A Polish Air Force Tupolev Tu-154M carrying the Polish President Lech KaczyĆski and many other Polish officials crashes on approach to Smolensk, Russia.
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