Science

On August 1, 1946, President Harry Truman signed legislation establishing the Fulbright Program. An international exchange program, the Fulbright Scholarship is considered one of the most prestigious scholarships in the world.  

Entrepreneur George Eastman was born on July 12, 1854, in Waterville, New York. Eastman invented the first successful film roll, making photography accessible for everyone and contributing to the development of motion pictures.

On July 11, 1979, Skylab, the first manned US space laboratory, returned to Earth after six years in space. The success of the Skylab project encouraged the continued inclusion of humans in space study.

Anthropologist Ruth Fulton Benedict was born on June 5, 1887, in New York City, New York. Benedict developed her own theories on culture and conducted special research for the US government during World War II.

On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard became the first American to travel into space when he successfully took a sub-orbital flight aboard Freedom 7.

Eugenie “Genie” Clark was born on May 4, 1922, in New York, New York.  Nicknamed “The Shark Lady,” she was a world-renowned marine biologist best known for her work with sharks and trailblazing in the field of scuba diving for marine research.

Photographer Eadweard Muybridge was born on April 9, 1830, in Kingston upon the Thames, Surrey, England. Muybridge was a photography pioneer, improving the technology and completing early motion studies on film.

On April 6, 1876, the American Chemical Society was founded in New York City. It was the first organization in the country devoted entirely to chemistry.

On March 21, 1826, the Rensselaer School was incorporated in Troy, New York.  Later named the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, it’s considered the oldest continuously operating technological college in America and the English-speaking world.