Newsroom Picks

Published 8:15 am Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Quote of the Day

“Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are a part of the mystery that we are trying to solve.” (Max Planck)

Bible Verse of the Day

“As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 66:13)

Today in History

On June 18, 1983,  the space shuttle Challenger was launched into space on its second mission. On board the shuttle was Dr. Sally K. Ride, who as a mission specialist, became the first American woman to travel into space.

Ride, a Stanford graduate with a Ph.D. in physics who had earlier pursued a professional tennis career, answered a newspaper ad in 1977 from NASA calling for young tech-savvy scientists who could work as mission specialists. Ride flew on Space Shuttle Challenger missions STS-7 and STS-41G. After NASA, she became a physics professor and launched initiatives to inspire future scientists and astronauts. Ride was a strong advocate for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education, especially for girls.

The United States had screened a group of female pilots in 1959 and 1960 for possible astronaut training but later decided to restrict astronaut qualification to men. In 1978, NASA changed its policy and announced that it had approved six women out of some 3,000 original applicants to become the first female astronauts in the U.S. space program.

Miscellanea

Art used to be an Olympic event. The founder of the modern Olympic Games, the Baron Pierre de Coubertin, was enamored with the idea of the true Olympian being a talented artist and sportsperson. Between 1912 and 1948, medals were given out for sporting-inspired masterpieces of architecture, music, painting, sculpture and literature.