On this day in 1945, the USS Indianapolis (known as the “Indy”) was torpedoed and sunk in the Pacific. The Indy had recently dropped off materials for the world’s first nuclear weapon and was heading for Guam when she was hit. She sank in about 12 minutes and almost 300 sailors went down with her and 900 were left floating in the shark-infested waters of the Pacific for four days and five nights before being rescued. Only 316 out of the 900 in the water survived. It is one of the most tragic events in US Navy history. Please click on the link below to learn more about the sinking of the Indy.

On this day in 1958, President Eisenhower signed an order to create NASA. After the 1957 launch of the Soviet satellite, Sputnik, it was obvious that the US was lagging behind the Soviets and needed to speed up its research and technology if they were going to catch up. The organization was created to explore outer space through unmanned and manned missions. The impact of NASA on the state of Alabama and vice versa has been enormous. NASA was able to avoid obstacles and setbacks and put a man on the Moon on July 20, 1969, possibly the greatest accomplishment in human history. Please click on the link below to learn more about the beginnings of NASA.