This Day In History, August 25th.
Five Historical Events That Happened on August 25th
1609: Galileo Galilei Demonstrates His First Telescope - On August 25, 1609, Galileo Galilei showed his first telescope to Venetian parliamentarians.
On August 25, 1835, The Sun newspaper in New York published the first in a series of articles claiming that astronomer Sir John Herschel had found life on the Moon.
1916: The National Park Service is Established - On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act, establishing the United States National Park Service.
1944: Paris is freed - On August 25, 1944, Allied forces freed Paris from German domination during World War II.
1989: Neptune Flyby by Voyager 2 - On August 25, 1989, the Voyager 2 spacecraft made its closest approach to Neptune, giving the first close-up photos of the planet and its moons.
1609: Galileo Demonstrates His First Telescope - Galileo Galilei demonstrated his first telescope to Venetian lawmakers on August 25, 1609.
Galileo Galilei exhibited his first telescope to the Venetian Senate on August 25, 1609. His telescope had a magnification of roughly 3x, and he used it to study the Moon's surface, detecting craters and mountains. Galileo's telescope transformed astronomy by enabling for considerably more comprehensive studies of the skies than had previously been possible. His observations and findings, made possible by his telescope, helped to corroborate Nicolaus Copernicus' heliocentric model of the solar system and contradicted the geocentric paradigm that had been accepted for generations.
1835: The Great Moon Hoax - The first article of a series claiming that astronomer Sir John Herschel had discovered life on the Moon was published in The Sun newspaper in New York on August 25, 1835.
The first in a series of articles claiming that astronomer Sir John Herschel had discovered life on the Moon was published in The Sun newspaper in New York on August 25, 1835. A reporter called Richard Adams Locke wrote a series of stories titled "The Great Moon Hoax," in which he claimed that Herschel had seen bat-like animals, beavers, and even unicorns on the Moon. The pieces attracted widespread attention and controversy among the general population. The claims, however, were soon discovered to be a fraud, and Locke acknowledged that he made them up. The Great Moon Hoax is still one of history's most renowned hoaxes.
1916: The National Park Service is Established - The United States National Park Service was created on August 25, 1916, when President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act.
President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act on August 25, 1916, establishing the National Park Service in the United States. The National Park Service was established to oversee and maintain the country's national parks and monuments, which were previously managed by several entities. The establishment of the National Park Service was a watershed moment in the conservation movement, ensuring the future preservation of many of America's most beautiful and valuable natural and cultural treasures. The National Park Service now oversees over 400 parks and sites around the United States.
1944: Paris is Liberated - Allied forces liberated Paris from German occupation on August 25, 1944, during World War II.
Allied soldiers freed Paris from German control on August 25, 1944, during World War II. The liberation of Paris was a watershed point in the war since it marked the beginning of the end of Germany's domination of France. After many days of fierce battle between the French Resistance and Allied forces on one side and German troops on the other, the city was liberated. On August 26, General Charles de Gaulle, the freshly appointed leader of the French government in exile, led a victorious parade through the streets of Paris, and the city exploded in festivities that lasted several days. The liberation of Paris provided a significant morale boost for the Allied forces, paving the road for Germany's final defeat.
1989: Voyager 2 Flyby of Neptune - The Voyager 2 spacecraft made its closest approach to Neptune on August 25, 1989, providing the first close-up images of the planet and its moons.
The Voyager 2 spacecraft made its closest approach to Neptune, a gas giant planet in the outer solar system, on August 25, 1989. The first close-up photos and scientific data of Neptune and its moons were supplied during the Voyager 2 flyby, providing fresh insights about their composition, geology, and atmospheric conditions. The spacecraft identified numerous additional moons in Neptune's orbit and captured comprehensive photographs of its biggest moon, Triton. The Voyager 2 mission was part of NASA's wider planetary exploration program, which also comprised the Voyager 1 and Pioneer missions. The information gathered by Voyager 2 and other spacecraft has contributed to a better knowledge of the outer solar system and its numerous mysteries.