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Almanac - 2026
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August 17: One bearing, one probe, and the machine that came home
On August 17, 1958, Pioneer 0, the first American lunar probe, exploded 77 seconds after liftoff above Cape Canaveral. Tonight's film: Star Trek: The…
Aug 17
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August 16: When there is no one left at the controls
On August 16, 1942, the US Navy blimp L-8 crashed empty in Daly City, its two-man crew never found. Tonight's film: The Hidden (1987).
Aug 16
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August 15: A 50-mile cut between two oceans
On August 15, 1914, the SS Ancon made the first official transit of the Panama Canal. Tonight's film: Stargate (1994).
Aug 15
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August 14: When the frontier line gets drawn on the map
On August 14, 1848, the U.S. Congress organized the Oregon Territory. Tonight's film: Serenity (2005).
Aug 14
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August 13: The metal that refused to rust
On August 13, 1913, Harry Brearley cast the first commercially practical stainless steel in Sheffield. Tonight's film: Iron Man (2008).
Aug 13
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August 12: Where healing walks the edge of death
On August 12, 1865, Joseph Lister performed the first antiseptic surgery. Tonight's film: Flatliners (1990).
Aug 12
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August 11: When the trouble is bricked in, not solved
On August 11, 1965, the Watts Riots erupted in Los Angeles. Tonight's film: Escape from New York (1981).
Aug 11
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August 10: When the price of flight is paid in a person
On August 10, 1896, Otto Lilienthal, German aviation pioneer, died after a glider crash. Tonight's film: The Astronaut's Wife (1999).
Aug 10
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August 9: When the side effect becomes the discovery
On August 9, 1892, Thomas Edison received a patent for the two-way telegraph. Tonight's film: Primer (2004).
Aug 9
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August 8: Fifteen masks, one train, and the dream thief
On August 8, 1963, a gang of 15 masked robbers stopped a Royal Mail train in Buckinghamshire and made off with 2.6 million pounds in bank notes…
Aug 8
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August 7: When the fight for a resource cracked an empire
On August 7, 1942, the U.S. 1st Marine Division landed on Guadalcanal, opening the first American offensive of World War II. Tonight's film: Dune…
Aug 7
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August 6: When we handed ourselves the means of our own end
On August 6, 1945, the Enola Gay released the Little Boy atomic bomb over Hiroshima, the first nuclear weapon ever used in war. Tonight's film: Beneath…
Aug 6
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