THIS WEEK IN HISTORY

12 March, 1947 – The Truman doctrine is proclaimed

In his speech before Congress, U.S. President Harry Truman defined his foreign relations priorities, which included military and economic support to Turkey and Greece to prevent the spread of communism.


13 March, 1781 – Uranus is discovered

German-born British astronomer William Herschel is credited with the planet's discovery. It is the third largest planet by radius in the solar system.


14 March, 1942 – For the first time in history, a dying patient's life is saved by penicillin

Although some claim that the pioneering trials in Oxford, England resulted in the first cures using penicillin, Orvan Hess and John Bumstead are generally credited with the first documented successful treatment.


15 March, 1972 – Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather is premiered

Even after 50 years, Francis Ford Coppola's epic The Godfather remains undisputed as the Don of gangster movies. Based on the hit novel by Mario Puzo, The Godfather elevated Coppola from cinematic obscurity to worldwide Hollywood renown.


16 March, 1926 – Robert Goddard launched the first liquid-fuel rocket

Robert H. Goddard successfully launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket in 1926. The idea for this revolutionary rocket engine first appeared in a book by Russian scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky.


17 March, 1973 – The photograph known as ‘Burst of joy’ was taken

Photographer Slava Veder was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for the image depicting a former U.S. prisoner of war being reunited with his family.


18 March, 1965 – Russian cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov becomes the first person to walk in space

During the tethered spacewalk, which lasted 12 minutes, Leonov ventured up to 10 metres from his spacecraft, Voskhod 2.

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