1964day.year
The Soviet Union launches Zond 1.
The Soviet Union launches the Zond 1 spacecraft on April 2, 1964, beginning its first planetary probe mission.
On April 2, 1964, the Soviet Union launched Zond 1, an unmanned spacecraft intended to conduct flybys of Venus and gather data on interplanetary space. Built on the 3MV platform, Zond 1 carried instruments to measure solar wind, cosmic rays, and the Venusian atmosphere. Communication difficulties emerged shortly after launch, preventing the relay of scientific data during its planned Venus encounter. Despite this setback, Zond 1 contributed valuable engineering insights that informed later Soviet planetary missions. The mission represented an early step in the space race, demonstrating the USSR's ambition to explore beyond Earth's orbit.
1964
Zond 1
1973day.year
Launch of the LexisNexis computerized legal research service.
In 1973, the LexisNexis computerized legal research service was launched, revolutionizing the way lawyers accessed case law and statutes. This digital platform became a cornerstone for legal professionals worldwide.
Before LexisNexis, legal research relied on printed volumes and manual indexing that required hours of tedious searching. Introduced by a team at the University of Cincinnati and Mead Data Central, LexisNexis offered full-text search of legal documents. Its computerized database provided unprecedented speed and accuracy, transforming law firms and academic institutions. The service expanded rapidly, adding news and business information in the following years. LexisNexis set a new standard for digital research and paved the way for modern online information services.
1973
LexisNexis
1979day.year
A Soviet bio-warfare laboratory at Sverdlovsk accidentally releases airborne anthrax spores, killing 66 plus an unknown amount of livestock.
A deadly anthrax leak occurred at a Soviet bioweapons facility in Sverdlovsk in 1979, killing dozens of people and livestock. The incident was shrouded in secrecy by the Soviet government for years.
On April 2, 1979, a breach in a Soviet military microbiology complex released aerosolized anthrax spores into the atmosphere. The leak contaminated nearby villages around Sverdlovsk, resulting in the sudden deaths of at least 66 residents and unknown numbers of farm animals. Soviet authorities initially blamed tainted meat for the outbreak and suppressed information about the accident. It was not until the early 1990s that Moscow admitted the facility’s role in the disaster. The incident exposed the dangers of biological weapons research and fueled international calls for stricter biosecurity. Subsequent investigations helped shape protocols to prevent future accidental releases.
1979
accidentally releases airborne anthrax spores