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 James Watson, one of three scientists to co-discover DNA structure, has auctioned off the 1962 Nobel Prize medal he received for the achievement; Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov paid $4.8 million for the medal but then returned it to Watson 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 Former Haitian leader Jean Claude 'Baby Doc' Duvalier dies of a heart attack at age 63; known for an oppressive regime, he fled the country in 1986 but returned in 2011, pleading not guilty to charges of corruption and human rights violations 2014 Event 49 hostages of the Islamic State are freed and returned to Turkey after an operation enacted by the Turkish government after the June kidnapping in Mosul, Iraq; Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will not give information regarding its actions 2014 Event Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol, American aid workers who contracted the Ebola virus in Liberia and returned to the U.S. for treatment, have been released and declared fully recovered 2014 Event U.S. President Barack Obama meets with Central American leaders, asking their assistance in curbing the flood of children attempting to immigrate; Obama asserted that children without proper documentation would be returned to their home countries 2014 Event The Obama administration requests $3.7 billion to address a flood of children crossing the U.S. border unaccompanied by adults; the children are to be returned to their home countries 2012 Event Treasure from Spain's Navy frigate Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes is returned to Spain after it was recovered by Odyssey Marine Exploration in 2007 2011 Event Ancient Korean royal books looted by French troops in 1866 are returned to South Korea; 1,000 officials and locals celebrate the return of the 297-volume 'Oegyujanggak' books 2011 Event After 300 years in Sweden, the oldest copy of Codex Holmiensis, dating from 1280, is returned to Denmark 2011 Event Tokyo reports that levels of radiation in its water supply have returned to normal 1998 Event Decapitated head of Danish Little Mermaid is returned 1994 Event Alexander Solzhenitsyn returned to Russia after 20 years in exile 1985 Event War veterans returned to the "Bridge over the River Kwai" 1979 Event Soviet Cosmonauts Vladimir Lyakov and Valery Ryumin returned to Earth aboard Soyuz 34 after a record 175 days in space 1977 Event Soyuz 25 launched to Saluyt 6, but returned after failing to dock 1972 Event Ryukyu Is and Daito Is returned to Japan after 27 years of U.S. control 1970 Event Baseball All-Star voting is returned to fans 1969 Event Apollo 10 astronauts returned to Earth 1968 Event Iwo Jima and Bonin Islands returned to Japan by US 1965 Event Star of India returned to American Museum of Natural History 1964 Event U.S.S.R. launches Zond 2 towards Mars; no data returned 1964 Event U.S. launches Mariner 3 toward Mars; no data returned 1964 Event U.S.S.R. launches Zond 1 to Venus; no data returned 1963 Event Frank Sinatra, Jr. returned after being kidnapped 1961 Event 1st animal returned from space, dog named Blackie aboard Sputnik 9 1960 Event Discoverer 13 launched into orbit; returned 1st object from space 1956 Event Porkkala military base returned to Finland by U.S.S.R. 1955 Event Date returned to in "Back to the Future" and "Back to the Future II" 1952 Event Helgoland, in North Sea, returned to West Germany by Britain 1947 Event Province of Petsamo returned to Soviet Union by Finland 1936 Event Jockey Ralph Neves unexpectedly revived after being declared dead after a fall. His wife fainted when he returned to track 1913 Event Mona Lisa stolen in Aug 1911 returned to Louvre 1905 Event Rebel battle flags captured during war are returned to South 1597 Event 1st Dutch East India Company ships returned from Far East
