Apollo 14, piloted by astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell, and Stuart A. Roosa, is successfully launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a manned mission to the moon. On February 5, after suffering some initial problems in docking the lunar and command modules, Shepard and Mitchell descended to the lunar surface on the third U.S. moon landing. Upon stepping out of the lunar module, Shepard, who in 1961, aboard Freedom 7, was the first American in space, became the fifth astronaut to walk on the moon. Shepard and Mitchell remained on the lunar surface for nearly 34 hours, conducting simple scientific experiments, such as hitting golf balls into space with Shepard's golf club, and collecting 96 pounds of lunar samples. On February 9, Apollo 14 safely returned to Earth.
Also on This Day
- Lead Story
- Truman announces development of H-bomb, 1950
- American Revolution
- Gouverneur Morris is born, 1752
- Automotive
- Cars.com names most memorable TV cars, 2007
- Civil War
- House passes the 13th Amendment, 1865
- Cold War
- First McDonald's opens in Soviet Union, 1990
- Crime
- The McMartin Preschool trials, 1990
- Disaster
- Flood wreaks havoc in Europe, 1953
- General Interest
- The death of Guy Fawkes, 1606
- Germany resumes submarine warfare, 1917
- Viet Cong attack U.S. Embassy, 1968
- Apollo 14 departs for the moon, 1971
- Hollywood
- Samuel Goldwyn dies, 1974
- Literary
- Norman Mailer is born, 1923
- Music
- American composer Phillip Glass is born, 1937
- Old West
- Author Zane Grey is born, 1872
- Presidential
- Clinton authorizes loan to Mexico, 1995
- Sports
- Doug Williams leads Redskins to Super Bowl victory, 1988
- Vietnam War
- Viet Cong attack U.S. Embassy, 1968
- North Vietnam presents nine-point peace proposal, 1972
- World War I
- Germans unleash U-boats, 1917
- World War II
- The execution of Pvt. Slovik, 1945
Jan 31, 1971:
Apollo 14 departs for the moon
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This Week in History, Jan 31 - Feb 6
- Jan 31, 1606
- The death of Guy Fawkes
- Jan 31, 1917
- Germany resumes submarine warfare
- Jan 31, 1968
- Viet Cong attack U.S. Embassy
- Jan 31, 1971
- Apollo 14 departs for the moon
- Feb 01, 1790
- First session of the U.S. Supreme Court
- Feb 01, 1908
- Portuguese king and heir assassinated
- Feb 01, 1979
- Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Iran
- Feb 02, 1943
- Battle of Stalingrad ends
- Feb 02, 1971
- Idi Amin takes power in Uganda
- Feb 02, 1980
- ABSCAM operation revealed
- Feb 03, 1924
- Woodrow Wilson dies
- Feb 03, 1953
- Cousteau publishes The Silent World
- Feb 03, 1959
- The day the music died
- Feb 03, 1966
- Lunik 9 soft-lands on lunar surface
- Feb 03, 1994
- Clinton ends Vietnam trade embargo
- Feb 04, 1789
- First U.S. president elected
- Feb 04, 1861
- States meet to form Confederacy
- Feb 04, 1969
- PLO is founded
- Feb 05, 1631
- Roger Williams arrives in America
- Feb 05, 1917
- Mexican constitution proclaimed
- Feb 05, 1917
- Immigration act passed over Wilson's veto
- Feb 05, 1937
- Roosevelt announces "court-packing" plan
- Feb 05, 1988
- Noriega indicted on U.S. drug charges
- Feb 06, 1820
- Freed U.S. slaves depart on journey to Africa
- Feb 06, 1928
- Anastasia arrives in the United States
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