1961
Ham goes to space. A chimpanzee named Ham flew into space aboard NASA's Mercury-Redstone 2 and came back safely, paving the way for the first American astronauts.
Wikipedia: Ham (chimpanzee)Photo: NASA / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
On this day
31 January in history.
5 moments from 1862 to 1997: discovery, creativity and courage, each with a source to read more.
5 moments
More from 31 January
1862
Sirius has a hidden partner
While testing a new telescope, Alvan Graham Clark spotted Sirius B, a faint white dwarf star circling Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky.
Wikipedia: Alvan Graham ClarkWikipedia: Sirius
Photo: Canis_major_constellation_map.png : Torsten Bronger . derivative work: Kxx ( talk ) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
1901
Three Sisters premieres
Anton Chekhov's play Three Sisters was first performed at the Moscow Art Theatre.
Wikipedia: Three Sisters (play)Wikipedia: Anton Chekhov
Photo: V. Chekhovskii, Moscow / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
1988
A Super Bowl first
Doug Williams led Washington to a win in Super Bowl XXII. He was the first African American quarterback to start in the Super Bowl.
Wikipedia: Doug Williams (quarterback)Wikipedia: Super Bowl XXII
Photo: All-Pro Reels from District of Columbia, USA / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
1997
Final Fantasy VII is released
Final Fantasy VII came out in Japan, the first game in the series made with 3D graphics.
Photo: Sony - Manabu Sakamoto / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Moments chosen for discovery, creativity and courage. Each one links to a source where you can read more; photos are credited to their owners.