2015 Event NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter detects liquid water on Mars in the form of hydrated salts; the minerals are found along flow lines on steep slopes and tend to appear during 'warm' weather (above 10 degrees F , -23 degrees C) 2015 Event NASA is isolating a six-person team for a year within a small dome in Hawaii in order to simulate theoretical conditions of a Mars mission; the team will have no fresh air or fresh food, and a spacesuit must be worn when exiting the dome 2014 Event The NASA Mars rover Curiosity has returned images from the red planet's Gale Crater showing evidence of sediment deposits, suggesting that lakes and rivers potentially existed across the planet millions of years ago 2014 Event NASA successfully tests its unmanned Orion spaceship for potential human flight over 3,500 miles from Earth; several years and more tests will be needed before the vessel is ready for human travel, potentially paving the way for manned trips to Mars 2014 Event India has successfully launched a space probe into orbit around Mars on its first attempt, making it the first Asian country to orbit the planet; at $74 million, the spacecraft cost about 11% of the U.S. Maven, which reached Mars orbit two days prior 2014 Event NASA Mars probe MAVEN is on track to enter the planet's orbit after a 10-month journey; the probe will collect data for a year on the upper Martian atmosphere to potentially answer questions about climate change on the planet 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 NASA completes a launch of the MAVEN, whose mission is to study Mars atmosphere in depth' the data from the MAVEN will help researchers construct a history of the climate on Mars and should help them understand how the water on Mars disappeared 2013 Event The PSLV-XL rocket carrying the Mars Orbiter Mission probe is launched by India's Space Research Organization; the will eventually be sent to Mars 2013 Event The mission of the NASA Curiosity Mars rover begins as it makes way to its destination and drives to Mount Sharp 2013 Event NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spacecraft transmits images that for the very first time, allow scientists to create a 3D reconstruction of ancient water channels below the surface of Mars 2013 Event Calcium deposits found on Mars by NASA's Curiosity rover; the deposits are similar to deposits formed on Earth when water circulates in cracks and rock fractures 2012 Event NASA's Curiosity rover continues to make small discoveries as the organization works to discredit rumors of evidence of life on Mars 2012 Event For the first time, Curiosity, the Mars rover, discovers what could be determined as direct evidence of a fast-moving stream bed, a prior watersource, on Mars 2012 Event Curiosity, the Mars rover, broadcasts its first audio recording of a human voice from the surface of another planet 2012 Event The Curiosity rover controlled by NASA's Mars Science Laboratory, lands safely on the surface of Mars 2011 Event The robotic Mars Science Laboratory, the largest rover ever sent to Mars, is launched by NASA; the goal is to find evidence of past or present life on Mars 2011 Event The European Space Agency makes contact with the Fobos-Grunt probe 48 hours after the spacecraft's window for launch to Mars closes 2011 Event A team of divers discover the wreck of a Swedish warship, possibly Mars, the head of king Erik XIV's fleet which sank in the Baltic Sea in 1564 2008 Event NASA's Phoenix spacecraft lands in the polar region on Mars 2006 Event Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter enters Mars orbit 2005 Event Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter launches 2004 Death William H. Pickering, rocket scientist, manager of the Mariner missions to Venus and Mars in the 1960s, dies at 93 2000 Event Conjunction of Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Moon 1999 Death "Forrest Mars, Sr", businessman, Mars candy, dies at 95 1997 Event U.S. space probe Pathfinder lands on Ares Vallis Mars 1997 Event "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus" closes at Gershwin New York City 1997 Event "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus," opens at Gershwin New York City 1997 Event Comet Hale-Bopp crosses Mars' orbit 1996 Event NASA's 1st Mars rover launched from Cape Canaveral 1996 Event NASA announces that life may have existed on Mars 1993 Event Mars Observer comes closest to Mars 1993 Event NASA loses contact with Mars Observer 1993 Event Mars Observer takes 1st photo of Mars, from 5 billion km 1993 Event Motley Crue's Mike Mars files for divorce from Emi-Canyn 1992 Event U.S. Mars Observer launched from Space shuttle 1990 Death Peter Dunn, actor (Invaders from Mars) dies 1989 Event Conjunction of Venus, Mars, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn and Moon 1989 Event U.S.S.R. announces plan for 2-yr manned mission to Mars 1988 Event NASA unviels plans for lunar colony and manned missions to Mars 1984 Event Transit of Earth as seen on Mars 1976 Event Viking 1 radio signal from Mars help prove general theory of relativity 1976 Event Viking 2 soft lands on Mars and returns photos 1976 Event Scientists in Pasadena, California, announce Viking I found strongest indications to date of possible life on Mars 1976 Event U.S. Viking 1 lands on Mars at Chryse Planitia, 1st Martian landing 1976 Event Viking 2 goes into orbit around Mars 1976 Birthday Lukas Hass, actor, Mars Attacks, Lady in White, Witness, Music Box 1975 Event Wings release "Venus and Mars/Rock Show" medley 1975 Event Viking 2 Mars probe launch 1975 Event Viking 1 launched to orbit around Mars, soft landing 1975 Event Wings release "Venus and Mars" album 1975 Event Paul McCartney releases "Venus and Mars" 1973 Event U.S.S.R. launches Mars 7 1973 Event U.S.S.R. launches Mars 6 1973 Event U.S.S.R. launches Mars 5 1973 Event U.S.S.R. launches Mars 4 for fly-by (2600 km) of red planet 1972 Event Mariner 9 begins mapping Mars 1971 Event Soviet Mars 3 is 1st to soft land on Mars 1971 Event Soviet Mars 2 becomes 1st spacecraft to crash land on Mars 1971 Death Walter Sande, actor (Red Planet Mars), dies of heart attack at 65 1971 Event Mariner 9, 1st to orbit another planet, Mars 1971 Event U.S. Mariner 9, 1st satellite to orbit Mars launched 1971 Event U.S.S.R. Mars 3 launched, 1st spacecraft to soft land on Mars 1971 Event U.S.S.R. launches Mars 2, 1st spacecraft to crash land on Mars 1969 Event Mariner 7 flies past Mars 1969 Event Mariner 6 sends close-up photo's of Mars 1969 Event Mariner 6 flies past Mars 1969 Event Mariner 6 begins transmitting far-encounter photos of Mars 1969 Event Launch of Mariner 7, flies 2,190-mi above southern Mars 1969 Event Mariner 6 launched for fly-by of Mars 1969 Event Mariner 6 launched for Mars flyby 1968 Birthday Lisa Marie [Sliwa], born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, actress, Mars Attack 1965 Event "Mariner IV" sends back 1st pictures of Mars 1965 Event U.S. Mariner IV, 1st Mars probe, passes at 6,100 miles (9,800 km) 1965 Event JPL proposes modified Apollo flight to fly around Mars and return 1964 Event U.S.S.R. launches Zond 2 towards Mars; no data returned 1964 Event Mariner 4 launched; 1st probe to fly by Mars 1964 Event U.S. launches Mariner 3 toward Mars; no data returned 1962 Event U.S.S.R. launches Mars 1; radio contact lost before arrival at Mars 1962 Event Mariner I launched to Mars falls into Atlantic Ocean 1962 Event Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn within 16 degrees 1951 Birthday Mick Mars, born in Terre Haute, Indiana, rocker, heavy metal guitarist, played for glam metal band Motley Crue 1950 Birthday Brad Dourif, West Virginia, actor, Ragtime, Eyes of Laura Mars, Fatal Beauty 1941 Birthday Paul Winfield, Louisiana, actor, Star Trek II, Huckleberry Finn, Mars Attack 1933 Birthday Mars Zakirovich Rafikov, Russian cosmonaut 1924 Event Mars' closest approach to Earth since 10th century 1920 Birthday Arthur Franz, Perth Amboy, New Jersey, actor, Invaders From Mars, Young Lions 1918 Birthday Marguerite Chapman, born in Chatham, New York, actress, Spy Smasher, Flight to Mars 1915 Birthday Lester del Rey, U.S., sci-fi author, Moon Trilogy, Marooned on Mars 1913 Death Alfred R Wallace, British zoologist (Is Mars habitable?), dies 1911 Birthday Leif Erickson, California, actor, Invaders from Mars, On the Waterfront 1910 Death Giovanni V Schiaparelli, Italian astronomer (Mars), dies at 75 1895 Birthday Charles Lamont, born in San Francisco, California, director, Abbott and Costello Go to Mars 1877 Event Asaph Hall discovers Mars' moon Phobos 1877 Event Asaph Hall discovers Mars's moon Deimos 1875 Birthday Edgar Rice Burroughs, U.S., sci-fi author, Tarzan of Apes, Mars Saga 1842 Birthday Camille Flammarion, Mars researcher and popularizer of astronomy 1835 Birthday Giovanni Schiaparelli, born in Italy, astronomer, discovered canals of Mars 1829 Birthday Asaph Hall, discovered satellites of Mars, Phobos and Deimos 1777 Death Guillaume Coustou, Jr., French sculptor (Apollo/Mars/Venus), dies at 61 1642 Death Cinq Mars, French plotter, executed
