Péter Lékó became the world’s youngest Chess Grand Master in 1994. Born in Yugoslavia, he was fourteen (a record at the time) when he won the title. Children could learn how to play chess at: Chess.
Jan 302024
Apr 212024
First discovery of extrasolar planets (now called exoplanets) was announced in 1994. As of mid-April, 2024, NASA announced that data from the Kepler Space Observatory, the James Webb Space Telescope, and other instruments had located 5,612 exoplanets. Scientists have observed another 10,170 exoplanets yet to be confirmed. In addition, experts have found 4,175 planetary systems. Children could learn more at the NASA site, especially the Interactives Tab, at: http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/.
Apr 222024
Borge Ousland, a Norwegian explorer, became the first person to trek to the North Pole solo in 1994. He left Cape Atkticheskiy, Siberia, on March 2, 1994. He averaged about 19 miles a day over the 630-mile trip.
Apr 232024
Top quark was discovered in 1994. This was the last of the six subatomic particles to be found. The other quarks are the bottom quark, strange quark, charm quark, up quark, and down quark. Combinations of these quarks form protons and neutrons. Children could learn more at: Quarks.
May 042024
Magellan fixed inside Atlantis
Atlantis, an American shuttle spacecraft, was launched in 1989. It successfully deployed Magellan, which traveled to Venus to map the planet’s surface. Magellan encountered Venus on August 10, 1990 and began taking high-quality radar images on September 15, 1990. It continued to photograph the planet’s surface, making six complete mapping cycles. Magellan mapped about 98 percent of Venus’s surface. It was commanded to plunge into Venus’s surface, still sending data, on October 13, 1994. Children could learn more at: Magellan.
May 062024
The Channel Tunnel, also called the Chunnel, connecting the United Kingdom and France, opened in 1994. It is 31 miles long, 23 of those miles under water. Digging beneath the English Channel began in 1988. Today about 18 million people travel on trains through the Chunnel each year. Children could learn more at a very interesting site: http://www.eurotunnel.com/build/.
May 102024
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as president of South Africa in 1994. The anti-apartheid icon served until 1999 and died in 2013. Children can learn more at: Nelson Mandela.
Jul 162024
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 began crashing into Jupiter in 1994. The comet was first observed by Carolyn and Eugene M. Shoemaker and David Levy on March 24, 1993. The comet had already broken apart into about 21 pieces, and scientists observed the explosions through telescopes, including the Hubble telescope. The last piece of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 crashed into Jupiter on July 22, 1994. Scientists learned a great deal about Jupiter because the impacts caused ripples traveling at 260 miles per second on the planet’s surface. Children could learn more at: Shoemaker-Levy 9.