Learn about the history of science by reading about the significant scientific events that took place on this day in history.
2004 - Mars rover Spirit lands on Mars.
NASA
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover landed on the surface of Mars. It was designed to act as a wandering robotic geologist to sample the soil in the area near its lander. The original plan was for the rover to travel for 40 meters a day with a lifetime range of 1 kilometer, but is still operational as of its six year anniversary.
1919 - First artificial transmutation of an element.
Ernest Rutherford became the first to transmute one element into another. He bombarded nitrogen atoms with alpha particles to create oxygen using the reaction:
α + 14N → 17O + 1p
α + 14N → 17O + 1p
