30 Oct 2014 9:35 AM PT
Reposted from cbs.com
1. The Beatles invaded America…quietly
So what if the single “Please Please Me” sold only 7,310 copies in its first U.S. release? Thursday, Feb. 7, 1963 marked the beginning of a music revolution that we’re still feeling today.
2. The eagle landed
Way back in 1782, America realized it needed a logo. And thus, on June 20 (a Thursday!), the bald eagle was chosen as the official emblem of these here United States.
3. The world greeted its greatest artist
Or, at least, one of its most respected. We speak of Leonardo da Vinci, born on April 15, 1452. Which was…a Thursday. Of course. Soon to follow: The Mona Lisa and all that.
4. Aliens blew up the world
Fictionally, of course. But what a fiction it was: According to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the Vogons blew up our big blue marble on a Thursday, and a classic sci-fi comedy franchise was born.
5. Uranus got some respect
Fans of rings, and fans of planets, should throw a party every March 10. Or every Thursday. Either way. That was the day, in 1977, that Uranus joined Saturn in being known for having hoops of ice.
6. Benjamin Franklin did that thing with electricity
You know, the thing. The thing with the kite and the key that proved that lightning and electricity were the same thing? That famous, groundbreaking experiment really happened. And it happened on Thursday, June 15, 1752.
7. The first Miss America was crowned
The day was Sept. 8. She was 16. Her name was Margaret Gorman, and at first, her achievement was called the Golden Mermaid 1921. An organizational decision led to her being re-dubbed Miss America, the first use of the title, on a Thursday or any day.
8. We discovered pretty much the biggest land animal ever
Just this past Sept. 4, paleontologists unveiled—wait for it—the Dreadnoughtus schrani dinosaur. It’s been classified as perhaps the biggest animal to ever walk the planet, measuring about 65 tons.
9. The first satellite achieved geosynchronous orbit
Call it Valentine’s Day…for SCIENCE. Syncom 1 launched on Thursday, Feb. 14 1963. Communications with the satellite were lost soon after, but a silent satellite in geosynchronous orbit is still a satellite in geosynchronous orbit.
10. Nerds on deck!
August 5, 1993: a banner Thursday for the inner geek in all of us. Magic: The Gathering was the first trading card game produced, and it remains the gold standard for card-based wizarding adventures.
11. The Commodore 64 debuted
The world got its first peek at what would be become the mother of all PCs during a computer convention on Thursday, January 7, 1982. To this day, the 8-bit machine is still listed as the biggest-selling single computer model of all time. Your move, Tim Cook.
12. We broke free!
Well, we sort of broke free. On July 4, 1776—a Thursday—the Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence for these United States of America. America was free! Because we said so!
13. Pac-Man took his first bite
Before Skyrim, before Grand Theft Auto, video games were played on big machines in places like pizza parlors. And on Thursday, May 22, 1980, Pac-Man, one of the most influential big-machine games of all time, was launched in Japan.
14. CBS introduced the most epic Thursday of epicness
Thursday, Oct. 30th, is shaping up to be one of the greatest Thursdays our undeserving planet has ever seen. Three new shows are premiering: Season 2 of Mom; the final season opener of Two and a Half Men; and the brand-new comedy The McCarthys. Could it get any more momentous than that?
