1863 – The fire extinguisher was patented by Alanson Crane. It became a flaming success…
1876 – Alexander Graham Bell applied for a patent for the telephone, the same day as Elisha Gray.
1938 – BBC Television produced the world’s first ever science fiction television program, an adaptation of a Polish play, that coined the term “robot”.
1997 – After a two-day chase, space shuttle Discovery’s astronauts hauled the Hubble Space Telescope aboard to begin a $350 million refurbishment. The mission’s objective was to replace worn-out components and install new ones to increase the performance of the telescope.
1998 – AOL raised its monthly flat access rate from $19.95 to $21.95, explaining it needed to upgrade its network to handle the onslaught of people taking advantage of its flat price.