In 1781 – English astronomer William Herschel observed what he initially thought was a comet but turns out to be the planet Uranus. It was the first planet to be discovered using a telescope.
In 1882 – At the Royal Institution, Eadweard J. Muybridge demonstrated his zoopraxiscope, an optical apparatus that exhibited photographs of moving animals. It is sometimes considered the first movie projector.
In 1969 – Apollo 9 returned safely to Earth after orbital testing of the first crewed Lunar Module.