This Week in Sci-Fi: August 6 – 12

Another week, another micron, another solar cycle, and here we are again, reminiscing about the people, places, and events that have helped define science fiction for today’s generation of Internet readers.  I’ll see you on the other sides, boys and girls …

August 6

On this back in 1985, the Space Shuttle Challenger landed at Edwards Air Force Base, ending the 19th mission of the American shuttle program. And it isn’t every day that we celebrate the absolute worst science fiction has to offer: actor John Breckinridge of the lovingly detestable PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE came into the world on this day in 1903. Other auspicious birthdays include actor Jason O’Mara (1972) of TV’s “Life On Mars” (the BBC original was vastly better, folks) and “Terra Nova.”

August 7

You thought Skynet hadn’t begun, eh? Well, on this day in 1944, IBM dedicated the first program-controlled calculator – better known as the Harvard Mark I. If you listen closely, you’ll hear the missiles still fueling. In 1970, our world experienced its first computer chess tournament. Auspicious birthdays include PROMETHEUS star Charlize Theron (1975); THE X-FILES’s David Duchovny (1960); and long-time Batman writer and artist Paul Dini (1957).

August 8

All the way back in 1864, records indicate that Comet C/1864 N1 (Tempel) approached us to within 0.0964 AUs of Earth. In 1876, cloning experienced its dubious beginnings when Thomas Edison patented the mimeograph. And, in 1978, the Pioneer-Venus 2 and its five atmospheric probes launched toward the planet Venus. Auspicious birthdays include THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN’s original boss ‘Oscar Goldman’ played by actor Richard Anderson (1926) as well as veteran TV producer Donald P Bellisario (1935).

August 9

The people of Nagasaki never knew what hit ‘em as the US dropped the second atomic bomb (aka “Fat Man”) on them in 1945. In 1972, Rockwell received its contract from NASA to construct America’s first space shuttle. Three years later in 1976, the USSR launched Luna 24, which to this date retains the record as being the last lunar flight from Earth … well, except for all those black budget flights with secret space fleet. Auspicious birthdays include 2009 STAR TREK’s Eric Bana (1968), “Journeyman” Kevin McKidd (1973), and THE X-FILES’s better half Gillian Anderson (1968).

August 10

I never took to “Babylon 5” the way most genre fans did, though I’ll admit to being smitten with Claudia Christian (1965) as much as the next fanboy. Her character Susan Ivanova was everything a station officer should be: hot, tough, sensitive, and in uniform. Besides, I knew her from her all-too-brief appearance as ‘Brenda Lee Van Buren’ back in 1987’s terrific sleeper THE HIDDEN, and I’d been in love with her since. In 1966, a daylight meteor was seen stretching from Utah up to Canada, and it’s the only known case of a meteor entering Earth’s atmosphere and leaving it again. Lastly, in 2003, Yuri Ivanovich Malenchenko became the first person to marry in space.

August 11

Maybe we should call August 11 “the beginning of the end” as on this day back in 3114 BC the Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar begins; for the record, that’s the calendar used most notably by the Mayans. In 1984, President Reagan accidentally took the world one step closer to nuclear annihilation when he joked about signing legislation that would outlaw Russia forever and “we begin bombing in five minutes.” Russia wasn’t amused. Auspicious birthdays include THOR’s Chris Hemsworth (1983) and STAR WARS’s emperor himself, Ian McDiarmid (1944).

August 12

Hate all you want, you hating haters, but I enjoyed 1980’s FLASH GORDON as a wonderful guilty pleasure, and its lead – actor Sam J. Jones (1954) – celebrates his birthday today. In 1960, Echo 1 – the first communications satellite – was launched into orbit. In 1981, the IBM personal computer was released. Other birthdays of note include 2009’s STAR TREK Bruce Greenwood (1956) and Jane Wyatt (1910) who graced Trek’s original series as the mother of Mr. Spock. Live long and prosper!