1947
Pilot Chuck Yeager became the first person to break the sound barrier
He flew his Bell X-1 rockets plane over Rogers Dry Lake in Southern California
1962
The Cuban Missile Crisis began
On October 14, 1962, an American U-2 spy plane making a high-altitude pass over Cuba photographed a Soviet SS-4 medium-range ballistic missile being assembled for installation, plunging the world’s super powers into one of their biggest Cold War confrontations
President Kennedy was briefed about the situation on October 16, and he immediately called together a group of advisors and officials known as the executive committee, or ExCom
For nearly the next thirteen days, the president and his team wrestled with a diplomatic crisis of epic proportions, as did their counterparts in the Soviet Union
1987
18-month-old Jessica McClure fell 22 feet down a well in Midland, Texas
The nation watched as manly rescue workers tried to free her. She was pulled from the well two-and-a-half days later
Television viewers around the world were so moved by her 58 hours of hardship that they sent money to the girl . . . who inherited a trust fund of one million dollars!
To this day, she doesn’t even remember falling down the well!
2011
The Apple iPhone 4S was released
Hello, Suri!
and then lastly…
2012
Felix Baumgartner jumped from the Stratosphere and set new world records for highest and fastest skydive
Jumping from the Red Bull Stratos, Baumgartner reached a speed of 843.6 mph, making him the first human to break the sound barrier outside of a vehicle
-Tyler Jackson
