2014 Event The Midwest experiences life threateningly low temperatures and forces over 2,500 flight cancellations; the tunnel of arctic air called the "polar vortex" should head eastward during the week 2014 Event Record-low temperatures are expected in the U.S. due to a 'polar vortex'; forecasters anticipate this tunnel of cold air funneling all the way from the North Pole to the U.S. could bring temperatures as low as 15 degrees in Chicago and 25 below zero in Fargo, North Dakota 2012 Event The Polar Music Prize is awarded to Paul Simon and Yo-Yo Ma 2010 Event An area in Alaska, twice the size of the United Kingdom, is protected by the U.S. Government; the area is considered a critical habitat for polar bears 2008 Event NASA's Phoenix spacecraft lands in the polar region on Mars 1997 Death Stikkan Stig Anderson, music entrepreneur (Polar), dies at 66 1996 Death Terence Edward Armstrong, polar geographer, dies at 75 1984 Event Landsat 5 and ham satellite Oscar 11 launched into polar orbit 1983 Event Infrared telescope satellite launched into polar orbit 1978 Event U.S. Seasat 1, 1st oceanographic satellite, launched into polar orbit 1977 Event Panama 747SP lands after polar flight around Earth in record 54:07 1959 Event Satellite Discoverer 6 launched into polar orbit 1959 Event Military satellite Discoverer 5 launched (into polar orbit) 1959 Event USAF launches Discoverer II into polar orbit 1959 Event Launch of Discoverer 1 (WTR)-1st polar orbit 1947 Event Paul-Emile Victor French polar expeditions organized 1920 Death Daniel Andersson, Swedish poet and writer (Polar History), dies at 32 1920 Birthday Terence Edward Armstrong, polar geographer 1897 Event Solomon Andrees baloon/polar expedition reaches White Island 1888 Birthday George Hubert Wilkins, born in Australia, polar explorer, Flying the Arctic 1841 Birthday George Melville, polar explorer, naval engineer 1733 Event 1st polar bear exhibited in America (Boston) 1642 Event Christiaan Huygens discovers Martian south polar cap
