Events
2003 - The Spirit Rover is launched, beginning NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover mission.
Births
1706 - John Dollond, English optician
1710 - James Short, Scottish mathematician
1803 - Henry Darcy, French scientist
1804 - Hermann Schlegel, German ornithologist
1861 - Pierre Duhem, French physicist
1929 - E. O. Wilson, American biologist (above)
Deaths
1836 - André-Marie Ampère, French physicist
1944 - Willem Jacob van Stockum, Dutch physicist
More like this
A question came up in the comments on the post Mars will pass behind sun, Rover operations affected, and the answer turns out to be very interesting.
Mars Rover Disoriented Somewhat After Glitch:
Press release from NASA regarding Spirit, which has been stuck in the sand ...
"Actually I think Art lies in both directions - the broad strokes, big picture but on the other hand the minute examination of the apparently mundane. Seeing the whole world in a grain of sand, that kind of thing." -Peter Hammill