Beyond Earth History Blog

Wright Flyer    The first airplane   First successful flight of the Wright Flyer on December 17, 1903. Orville Wright was at the controls of the machine, lying prone on the lower wing with his hips in the cradle which operated the wing-warping mechanism. Wilbur Wright ran alongside to balance the machine, and just released his hold on the forward upright of the right wing in the photo. The starting rail, the wing-rest, a coil box, and other items needed for flight preparation are visible behind the machine. Credit: John T. Daniels/Wikimedia Commons   The first controlled, sustained flight in a powered airplane was made by Orville Wright (1871–1948) in the Wright Flyer (also known as the Kitty Hawk  or Flyer I ) on December 17, 1903. The machine traveled 37 m (120 ft) in 12 seconds at 10:35 a.m. at Kill Devil Hills, south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The aircraft made a total of four flights that day.    The last flight, by Wilbur Wright (1867–1912)...

Arthur C. Clarke Arthur C. Clarke in 1976. Credit: Charles Adams Arthur C. Clarke, an English science fiction writer, science writer, and futurist, is considered one of the most influential science fiction writers of the 20th century, known for combining rigorous scientific accuracy with visionary imagination.     Clarke was born on December 16, 1917, in Minehead, Somerset. He developed a passion for science fiction and space exploration at a young age and was active in fan circles before World War Two. In 1934, he joined the British Interplanetary Society. From 1941 to 1946 he served in the Royal Air Force, becoming a radar instructor, rising to the rank of flight-lieutenant.     In 1945, in an article entitled "Extra-Terrestrial Relays: Can Rocket Stations Give World-wide Radio Coverage?", Clarke proposed a satellite communication system using geostationary orbits. It was the first proposal of this type published in English. In 1948, he secured a bachelor...

 Tycho Brahe Tycho Brahe framed by the family shields of his noble ancestors, in a 1586 portrait by Jacques de Gheyn. Credit: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston/Wikimedia Commons Tycho Brahe (born Tyge Ottesen Brahe), Danish astronomer, astrologer, and alchemist, was born on December 14, 1546 in Knutstorp in Skaane, Denmark (now Sweden) into a Danish aristocratic family. When he was only two years old, Tycho was taken away to be raised by his wealthy uncle, and managed to avoid the usual custom of becoming a courtier, ending up in the service of the King. Instead, Tycho pursued his true interests in the humanities and the sciences, particularly astronomy. From 1559 he attended the University of Copenhagen and subsequently studied at universities in Leipzig, Wittenberg, Rostock, Basel, and Augsburg, before returning to Denmark in 1570. In 1566 he lost part of his nose in a duel over a mathematical formula and wore a prosthetic nose for the rest of his life.    After publish...