FEBRUARY 20, 2020: Fifty-eight (58) years ago today—on February 20, 1962—John Glenn became the first American to orbit the earth. Glenn orbited the earth three times in his Mercury capsule known as Friendship 7. The entire flight lasted just under five hours.[1] ([link removed])
That launch was a significant moment in the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. Many Americans were concerned because the Soviets appeared to be ahead in the space race. They had launched the world’s first orbiting spacecraft (Sputnik) in 1957.[1] ([link removed]) NASA—the U.S. space agency—wasn’t even created until a year after Sputnik.[2] ([link removed])
Then, in April 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to orbit the earth.[2] ([link removed]) It took ten months before the United States could match that feat with Glenn’s journey around the globe.
In retrospect, it remains stunning to realize that the U.S. was able to successfully land two men on the moon less than eight years after Glenn’s historic flight into space.
In One Giant Leap: The Impossible Mission That Flew Us to the Moon ([link removed]) , Charles Fishman recounts just how all-encompassing an effort was required to put men on the moon. And, he shows the tremendous impact that effort had in creating today’s digital era.[3] ([link removed])
** CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE NUMBER OF THE DAY ONLINE→ ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day ([link removed]) explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology. Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
To see other recent numbers, check out the archive ([link removed]) .
Was this email forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day. ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
============================================================
_Scott Rasmussen is an editor-at-large for Ballotpedia, the Encyclopedia of American Politics. He is a senior fellow for the study of self-governance at the King’s College in New York. His most recent book, ** Politics Has Failed: America Will Not ([link removed])
** , ([link removed])
was published by the Sutherland Institute in August 2018._
-------------------------
Decide which emails you want from Ballotpedia.
** Unsubscribe [link removed]
or ** update your subscription preferences [link removed]
Ballotpedia
The Encyclopedia of American Politics
** 8383 Greenway Blvd., Suite 600 ([link removed])
** Middleton, WI 53562 ([link removed])
** [Facebook] ([link removed])
** [Twitter] ([link removed])
