NYC’s big businesses now have to compost food waste
New York City is cracking down on food waste.
North & Central America
Voyager 1 becomes first human-made object to leave solar system
Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 traveled past Jupiter and Saturn and is now more than 11.66 billion miles (18.67 billion kilometers) from the sun, becoming the first spacecraft to enter interstellar space.
Barack Obama elected as United States’ first black president
Americans placed their faith in Barack Obama, turning their backs on a past of slavery and segregation and electing the first African-American to the US presidency.
Apple’s iPhone is released
The original iPhone was described as “revolutionary” and a “game-changer” for the mobile phone industry.
Massachusetts becomes first U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that it was unconstitutional under the Massachusetts Constitution to allow only opposite-sex couples to marry.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child formally comes into effect
The UNCRC is a groundbreaking international human rights treaty ratified by 196 countries (as of 2023) which sets out the civil, political, economic, social, health, and cultural rights of children.
The United States launches the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit
While it was not the first space telescope, it is one of the largest and most versatile, renowned both as a vital research tool and as a public relations boon for astronomy.
“The Simpsons” debuts
Since its debut, 640 episodes of The Simpsons have been broadcast. It is the longest-running American sitcom, and the longest-running American scripted primetime television series in terms of seasons and number of episodes.
46 countries sign the Montreal Protocol in historic move to restore the ozone layer
The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion. It was agreed on 16 September 1987 and entered into force on 1 January 1989. The ozone treaty has since been ratified by 198 parties, making it the first universally ratified treaty in United Nations history.
Steve Jobs introduces the first Macintosh computer
The original Macintosh was the first mass-market personal computer that featured a graphical user interface, built-in screen and mouse.