October 12th, 2008

Today in History

1994:
NASA loses radio contact with the Magellan spacecraft as the probe descends into the thick atmosphere of Venus (the spacecraft presumably burned up in the atmosphere either October 13 or October 14)

1968:
Equatorial Guinea becomes independent from Spain

1938:
Filming starts on The Wizard of Oz

1773:
America's first insane asylum opens for 'Persons of Insane and Disordered Minds' in Virginia

1582:
Due to the implementation of the Gregorian calendar this day does not exist in this year in Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain.