Today is 13th April, 09 and here’s what happened today in tech…

1 - 1842 Lord Rosse successfully cast 72″ (183-cm) mirror for a telescope.

2 – 1869 Steam power brake was patented with regard to George Westinghouse, an American entrepreneur and engineer who invented the railroad air brake and was a pioneer of the electrical industry.

3 – 1959 USAF launched Discoverer II into polar orbit.

4 - 1959 Vanguard SLV-5 launched for Earth orbit (failed).

5 – 1960 Transit 1B, 1st navigational satellite, placed in Earth orbit.

6 – 1960 France becomes 4th nuclear nation exploding an A-Bomb in Sahara.

7 - 1966 Pan Am places $525,000,000 order for 25 Boeing 747s.

8 – 1970 Apollo 13 announces “Houston, we’ve got a problem!” as Beech-built oxygen tank explodes en route to Moon.

9 – 1984 11th Space Shuttle Mission (41C)-Challenger 5-returned to Earth.