1990 Scientific Discoveries Events — Verified Historical Highlights
1990 Scientific Discoveries Events — Verified Historical Highlights | TakeMeBack.to
- 06 Jan Pavel Cherenkov, Nobel Prize-Winning Physicist, Dies at 85: Pavel Alekseyevich Cherenkov, the Soviet physicist renowned for discovering Cherenkov radiation, passed away on January 6, 1990, in Moscow at the age of 85. In 1958, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics alongside Ilya M. Frank and Igor Y. Tamm for their work on the Cherenkov effect. Cherenkov's discovery has had a profound impact on nuclear and particle physics, leading to the development of Cherenkov detectors used in experimental research. source: britannica.com
- 03 Mar First dog-sled crossing of Antarctica completed: On March 3, 1990, the six-member International Trans-Antarctica Expedition, led by Will Steger and Jean-Louis Étienne, completed the first non-motorized crossing of Antarctica. The team traversed 3,741 miles over seven months, enduring temperatures as low as -54°F and winds up to 100 mph. The journey began on July 27, 1989, from Seal Nunataks and concluded at the Soviet base of Mirnyy. The expedition aimed to draw international attention to environmental concerns and advocate for the protection of Antarctica. Notably, the team faced challenges such as a 14-hour search for team member Keizo Funatsu, who became disoriented in a blizzard but was found unharmed. The sled dogs played a crucial role, with all but one surviving the arduous journey. source: guinnessworldrecords.com
- 24 Mar An Wang, founder of Wang Laboratories, dies at 70: An Wang, a Chinese-American computer engineer and founder of Wang Laboratories, died on March 24, 1990, at the age of 70. He passed away at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston after a prolonged battle with esophageal cancer. Wang was renowned for his development of magnetic core memory, a pivotal advancement in early computer technology, and for establishing a company that became a significant player in the office equipment sector. source: washingtonpost.com
- 09 Apr Comet Austin's perihelion passage on April 9, 1990: Comet Austin, officially designated C/1989 X1, passed closest to the Sun (perihelion) on April 9, 1990, at a distance of approximately 53 million kilometers (33 million miles). Discovered by New Zealand amateur astronomer Rodney R.D. Austin on December 6, 1989, the comet was initially expected to brighten significantly and become a prominent naked-eye object. However, it failed to meet these expectations, remaining dimmer than anticipated and not as visible to the naked eye as predicted. source: washingtonpost.com
- 20 May Hubble Space Telescope captures first image of star cluster NGC 3532: On May 20, 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope took its first photograph of the binary star HD96755 in the open cluster NGC 3532, located about 1,300 light years away. This initial image was unremarkable and smudgy, but significant as it marked Hubble's first successful light test. Later, engineers discovered Hubble's famously flawed mirror, which was confirmed nearly a month after the first photo. Despite the initial disappointment due to out-of-focus images, it wasn't until the December 1993 mission that corrective optics were installed to rectify the issue. This pivotal moment led to 25 years of awe-inspiring, clear images of the cosmos, capturing the universe's history in unparalleled detail. source: nasa.gov
- 03 Jun Robert Noyce, co-inventor of the integrated circuit, dies at 62: Robert Noyce, co-inventor of the integrated circuit and co-founder of Intel Corporation, died of a heart attack on June 3, 1990, in Austin, Texas, at the age of 62. source: britannica.com
- 20 Jun Discovery of asteroid 5261 Eureka: On June 20, 1990, astronomers David H. Levy and Henry Holt discovered asteroid 5261 Eureka at Palomar Observatory in California. This asteroid is the first known Mars Trojan, orbiting the Sun at Mars's L5 Lagrangian point, approximately 60 degrees behind Mars in its orbit. Eureka's orbit is stable, with distances from Earth, Venus, and Jupiter of 0.5, 0.8, and 3.5 AU, respectively. source: en.wikipedia.org
- 02 Aug Discovery of 'Sue' the Tyrannosaurus rex fossil: On August 12, 1990, fossil hunter Susan Hendrickson discovered a remarkably complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton in South Dakota's Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. The specimen, named 'Sue' in her honor, is among the largest and most complete T. rex fossils ever found, with approximately 90% of the bones recovered. This discovery has significantly advanced scientific understanding of T. rex biology and behavior. source: britannica.com
- 12 Aug Discovery of Sue, the T. rex Skeleton: On August 12, 1990, fossil hunter Susan Hendrickson discovered a nearly complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton in the Hell Creek Formation near Faith, South Dakota. The specimen, named "Sue" in her honor, is approximately 67 million years old and measures about 42 feet (12.8 meters) long and 13 feet (4 meters) tall at the hips. Sue is one of the largest and most complete T. rex skeletons ever found, with over 90% of the bones recovered. source: britannica.com
- 24 Sep Great White Spot observed on Saturn: In late September 1990, amateur astronomers discovered a bright white spot in Saturn's equatorial region, marking the onset of a significant storm. This phenomenon, known as the Great White Spot, is a rare event on Saturn, with the previous occurrence in 1933. The storm rapidly expanded, eventually encircling the entire planet. source: stsci.edu
- 06 Oct Ulysses spacecraft launched aboard Space Shuttle Discovery: On October 6, 1990, the European Space Agency's Ulysses spacecraft was launched aboard NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-41) from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The mission aimed to study the Sun's polar regions, a first in solar research. Ulysses was deployed into low Earth orbit and then propelled toward Jupiter using two solid-fuel upper stages, the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) and the Payload Assist Module (PAM-S), achieving a heliocentric orbit inclined at 80.2° to the solar equator. source: nasa.gov
- 13 Nov Creation of the first web page: On November 13, 1990, Tim Berners-Lee created the first web page, marking a pivotal moment in the development of the World Wide Web. This page served as a demonstration of the capabilities of the web and laid the foundation for the internet as we know it today. It was hosted on a NeXT computer at CERN. source: bbc.com
- 25 Dec Birth of the first web browser: On December 25, 1990, Tim Berners-Lee introduced the first web browser, called WorldWideWeb, which laid the foundation for the modern internet. This innovation revolutionized how information is shared and accessed globally. source: bbc.com
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