2015 Event Commercial space company SpaceX successfully launches its Falcon 9 rocket, which has released the Dragon cargo ship into orbit to the International Space Station; the rocket returned to Earth after releasing the Dragon but had a rough landing 2014 Event The European Space Agency makes history by landing a probe named Philae on the surface of a comet; scientists report that the probe anchors did not fire and that the vessel appears to have made two landings 2014 Event Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, reveals the latest Dragon space capsule; the craft is reusable and will allow astronauts to control re-entry and landing; the development suggests that full commercialization of the space industry will soon be a reality 2014 Event Today marks the 10th anniversary of the Opportunity rover landing on Mars; NASA announces the rover has discovered clay minerals indicating water flowed on Mars early in the planet's history 2013 Event China's first lunar rover, the Yutu, makes the first 'soft' landing on the moon since 1976; Yutu is the third robotic rover in existence 2012 Event A video of SpaceX's latest test of the company's Grasshopper rocket with vertical takeoff and vertical landing, is released; the rocket rose 131 feet, hovered and landed safely on the landing pad December 17, 2012 2003 Event The Concorde made its last commercial flight, landing at Heathrow Airport, London 1993 Event Chinese MD82 makes crash landing at Urumqi, 12 killed 1993 Event Actress Michele Phillips (Knots Landing) is robbed at gunpoint 1993 Event CBS' Knots Landing ends 14 year run with 334th show in Netherlands 1993 Event Last broadcast of "Knots landing" on CBS 1992 Event Dutch DC-10 in fire at landing on Faro Portugal, 56 die 1992 Death Larry Riley, actor (Soldier Story, Knots Landing), dies of AIDS at 39 1991 Event Actor Ted Shackelford (Knots Landing) weds Annett Wolf 1990 Death Howard Duff, actor (Heist, Knots Landing), dies of heart attack at 72 1990 Event 6th Soap Opera Digest Awards - Knots Landing wins 1987 Event Mathias Rust, 19, W. German pilot, makes unauthorized landing in U.S.S.R. 1980 Event Saudi Arabian Lockhead Tristar crashes on landing at Riyadh, 301 die 1979 Event "Knots Landing," premieres on CBS-TV 1977 Event Supersonic Concorde jet's 1st landing in New York City 1976 Event U.S. Viking 1 lands on Mars at Chryse Planitia, 1st Martian landing 1975 Event U.S.S.R.'s Venera 10 makes day-side Venus landing 1975 Event Viking 1 launched to orbit around Mars, soft landing 1975 Event U.S.S.R. launches Venera 10 for Venus landing 1975 Event U.S.S.R. launches Venera 9 for Venus landing 1974 Event Luna 23 launched (landing on Moon) 1973 Event BEA flight to Basel, Switzerland, crashes on landing, killing 104 of 143 1973 Event U.S.S.R. launches Luna 21 for Moon landing 1972 Birthday Thomas Wilson Brown, actor, Jason-Knots Landing 1972 Event Apollo 17, last of Apollo Moon landing series, returns to Earth 1972 Event Apollo 17 (U.S.), final manned lunar landing mission, launched 1972 Event Venera 8 makes soft landing on Venus 1972 Event Apollo 16 launched; 5th manned lunar landing (Decartes Highlands) 1972 Event Luna 20 (Russia) launched to orbit and soft landing on Moon 1971 Event Apollo 15 launched (Scott and Irwin) to 4th manned landing on Moon 1971 Event Apollo 14 launched, 1st landing in lunar highlands 1971 Birthday Tonya Crowe, born in Long Beach, California, actress, Olivia-Knots Landing 1970 Event 1st successful landing on Venus (U.S.S.R.) 1969 Birthday Kristy Swanson, actress, Knots Landing, Buffy Vampire Slayer 1969 Event Apollo 12 (Conrad/Gordon/Bean) launched for 2nd manned Moon landing 1969 Event U.S.S.R.'s Venera 6 launched for parachute landing on Venus 1969 Event U.S.S.R. Venera 5 launched for 1st successful planet landing (Venus) 1967 Event Surveyor 6 launched for soft landing on Moon 1967 Event U.S. launches Surveyor 6; makes soft landing on Moon Nov 9 1967 Event Surveyor 5 launched; makes soft landing on Moon Sept 10 1967 Event Surveyor 4 launched to Moon; explodes just before landing 1967 Event U.S.S.R. launches Venera 4 for parachute landing on Venus 1966 Birthday Pat Petersen, born in Los Angeles, California, actor, Michael-Knots Landing 1966 Event Canadian Pacific airliner explodes on landing at Tokyo, 64 die 1966 Event 1st soft landing on Moon (Soviet Luna 9) 1965 Event Ranger 8 makes hard landing on the Moon, returns photos, other data 1964 Birthday Boyd Kestner, born in Virginia, actor, appeared in 'The Outsiders' television series, known for role as Alex Barth in 'Knots Landing' television series 1963 Birthday Nicollette Sheridan, Worthing England, actress, Paige-Knots Landing 1959 Birthday Teri Austin, born in Toronto, Canada, actress, Terminal Choice, Knots Landing 1959 Event Cessna lands in Las Vegas after 65 d without landing (refuels in air) 1958 Birthday Alec Baldwin, born in Amityville, New York, actor, Joshua-Knots Landing, Beetlejuice 1956 Birthday Lisa Hartman Black, Houston, singer and actress, Tabitha, Knots Landing 1955 Birthday Kim Lankford, born in Montebello, California, actress, Gingers-Knots Landing 1952 Birthday Larry Riley, born in Memphis, Tennessee, actor, Harry-Stir Crazy, Knots Landing 1952 Event 1st landing by an airplane at geographic North Pole 1951 Birthday Penny Peyser, Irvington, New York, actress, Rich Man Poor Man, Knots Landing 1949 Birthday Joe Regalbuto, born in Brooklyn, New York, actor, Knots Landing, Frank-Murphy Brown 1949 Birthday Douglas Sheehan, born in Santa Monica, California, actor, Ben-Knots Landing 1947 Birthday Jane Elliot, New York City, actress, Baby Boom, General Hospital, Knots Landing 1947 Event British stop ships Independence and In-Gathering from landing in Israel 1946 Birthday Ted Shackelford, born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, actor, Gary-Dallas, Knots Landing 1946 Birthday Kathleen Noone, actress, All My Children, Party of 5, Knots Landing 1945 Event Allied landing at Ternate Molukkas 1944 Birthday Joanna Pettit, London, actress, Knots Landing, Cry of the Innocent 1944 Event During World War II, Allied forces begin landing at Anzio Italy 1943 Birthday Donna Mills, born in Chicago, Illinois, actress, Knots Landing, Incident 1943 Event Joint Chiefs of Staff question Admiral Nimitz (landing Gilbert Island) 1943 Birthday Joan Van, born in Arkansas, New York City, actress, Valene-Dallas, Knots Landing 1943 Birthday Kevin Dobson, born in Jackson Heights, New York, actor, Kojak, Knots Landing, Shannon 1942 Event Lieutenant-general Montgomery makes landing on Gibraltar 1942 Birthday John Pleshette, New York City, actor, Richard-Knots Landing, 7th Avenue 1942 Birthday Michele Lee, born in Los Angeles, California, actress and singer, Karen-Knots Landing, Love Bug 1942 Birthday Stephen Macht, Philadelphia. Pennsylvania, actor, Joe-Knots Landing, Cagney and Lacey 1940 Event 2 German officers make emergency landing in Belgium 1923 Birthday Ruth Roman, born in Boston, Massachusetts, actress, Sylvia-Knots Landing, Dallas 1917 Birthday Howard Duff, Bremerton Wash, actor, Flamingo Road, Knots Landing 1916 Event 1st landing on Schiphol (Farman F-22 of Soesterberg) 1915 Event Old Fordham Road in Bronx renamed Landing Road 1911 Event 1st shipboard landing of a plane (Tanforan Park to USS Pennsylvania) 1864 Event Battle of Blair's Landing Louisiana 1862 Event Battle of Malvern Hill, Virginia (Harrison's Landing, Crew's Farm) 1862 Event Battle of West Point, Virginia (Eltham's Landing, Barnhamsville) 1861 Event Battle of Mathias Point, Virginia - Rebel forces repel a Federal landing 1822 Death Denmark Vesey, and 5 aides hanged at Blake's Landing, Charleston, South Carolina 1694 Event English troop landing at Brest attack, 300 killed
