1981 Scientific Discoveries Events — Verified Historical Highlights
1981 Scientific Discoveries Events — Verified Historical Highlights | TakeMeBack.to
- 01 Feb Death of Donald W. Douglas, Aircraft Pioneer: Donald W. Douglas Sr., founder of the Douglas Aircraft Company, died on February 1, 1981, at the age of 88 in Palm Springs, California. He was instrumental in developing commercial aircraft, notably the DC-3, which revolutionized air travel. Under his leadership, the company produced significant military aircraft during World War II and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft Company in 1967. source: upi.com
- 10 Apr Space Shuttle Columbia launch delayed due to computer issue: On April 10, 1981, the inaugural launch of the Space Shuttle Columbia was postponed when a backup computer failed to communicate with two of the primary computers during pre-launch checks. Engineers identified a timing discrepancy between the computers, requiring a reprogramming that would take at least a day to complete. Consequently, the launch was rescheduled for April 12, 1981. source: washingtonpost.com
- 05 May Soviet cosmonaut reports UFO sighting during Salyut-6 mission: On May 5, 1981, Soviet cosmonaut Major General Vladimir Kovalyonok observed an unidentified flying object from the Salyut-6 space station. The object appeared elliptical and flew alongside the station, exhibiting unusual behavior that defied known physical laws. Kovalyonok described the event as involving a golden light explosion, followed by the appearance of two golden spheres. His colleague, Viktor Savinykh, also witnessed the phenomenon but was unable to photograph it before the object disappeared. source: nationalufocenter.com
- 13 Jun Salem, Oregon meteorite fall: On May 13, 1981, a meteorite fell in Salem, Oregon, at approximately 1:05 a.m. local time. The fall was observed by two individuals, and a 22.2-gram fragment was recovered, contributing to a total of 61.4 grams from a single individual. The meteorite was identified as a heavily fusion-crusted, shock-veined L6 chondrite. source: ui.adsabs.harvard.edu
- 26 Jul Asteroid (2845) Franklinken discovered by E. Bowell: On July 26, 1981, astronomer Edward L. G. Bowell discovered asteroid (2845) Franklinken at the Anderson Mesa Station of the Lowell Observatory in Arizona. This main-belt asteroid was later named in honor of astronomer Kenneth Franklin. source: de.wikipedia.org
- 04 Aug Schering-Plough patents loratadine, the active ingredient in Claritin: On August 4, 1981, Schering-Plough was granted a patent for loratadine, the active ingredient in Claritin, an antihistamine used to treat allergies. This patent laid the foundation for the development and commercialization of Claritin, which became a leading non-sedating antihistamine upon its market introduction in 1993. source: mit.edu
- 27 Dec Soviet Union conducts underground nuclear test in Kazakhstan: On December 27, 1981, the Soviet Union conducted an underground nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in Kazakhstan. The test, identified as number 587, took place at 03:43:16.72 UTC at the Balapan location, with a yield of 150 kilotons. This test was part of a series of 21 nuclear tests conducted by the Soviet Union in 1981. source: en.wikipedia.org
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