World’s first plastic recycling mill opens in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
By the 1980s, plastic recycling was widely practiced in many communities across the United States.
United States
Ray Tomlinson sends the world’s first ever email, to himself
The email was sent from one computer to another computer sitting right beside it in Cambridge, Massachusetts, but it traveled via ARPANET, a network of computers that was the precursor to the Internet.
U.S. NASA’s Mariner 9 becomes the first articial satellite of Mars
Mariner 9 was launched successfully on May 30, 1971, and became the first artificial satellite of Mars when it arrived and went into orbit.
The first Earth Day is celebrated
Earth Day was the brainchild of U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, a staunch environmentalist who hoped to provide unity to the grassroots environmental movement and increase ecological awareness.
ARPANET is first deployed via UCLA, SRI, UCSB, and The University of Utah
ARPANET was an early packet-switching network and the first network to implement the protocol suite TCP/IP. Both technologies became the technical foundation of the Internet.
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first humans to walk on the moon
After the astronauts returned safely to Earth, another five NASA crewed lunar missions followed in their footsteps. The last, Apollo 17, landed on December 14 1972.
James T. Russell invents precursor to laser discs
American inventor James T. Russell has been credited with inventing the first system to record digital information on an optical transparent foil that is lit from behind by a high-power halogen lamp.
Nicholas Clinch of the United States becomes the first to summit Vinson Massif
Vinson Massif is a large mountain massif and the highest peak in Antarctica.
Robert C. Weaver becomes first Black cabinet member in the U.S.
As HUD’s senior administrator, Weaver expanded affordable housing programs and, in 1968, advocated for the passage of the Fair Housing Act,
The UN Development Programme is launched
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth, and human development. Based at United Nations Headquarters in New York City, it is the largest U.N. development aid agency, with offices in 177 countries. As the poor are disproportionately affected by environmental degradation and lack of access to clean, affordable water, sanitation, and energy services, UNDP also seeks to address a wide range of environmental and conservation issues.