As new seafloor is formed by volcanic activity at mid-ocean ridges, the magnetic field polarity of Earth at that time gets preserved in magnetic minerals within the volcanic rocks. As the seafloor moves away from the ridges, it serves as a geological "tape recorder," showing variations in magnetic polarity over time.
1963: Unraveling Earth’s Magnetic Mysteries – The Study of Reversing Polarity

Researchers in geophysics and paleomagnetism, like Motonori Matuyama and Lawrence Morley, have discovered Earth's magnetic field reversals, revealing crucial insights into seafloor spreading and plate tectonics

Artist's impression of a future Mars potentially terraformed with oceans and a thick, life-sustaining atmosphere, thousands of years from now.
1961: Terraforming Visions – Transforming Planets to Earth-like Worlds

Carl Sagan pioneered the study of terraforming, the ambitious concept of modifying alien planets like Venus and Mars to support Earth-like life, despite significant challenges

Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space, prepares for his historic space flight on April 12, 1961.
1961: The Dawn of Human Spaceflight – Gagarin and Shepard’s Historic Missions

Yuri Gagarin and Alan Shepard pioneered human spaceflight in 1961, marking the start of an era of space exploration celebrated annually on Yuri’s Night

Part of the ruins of the city of Valdivia, Chile, after the massive earthquake on May 21, 1960.
1960: The 1960 Valdivia Earthquake – A Record-Breaking Seismic Event

The 1960 Valdivia Earthquake in Chile, with a moment magnitude between 9.4 and 9.6, stands as the most powerful recorded earthquake, leading to advances in seismic monitoring and tsunami predictions

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's remotely operated robotic submersible Deep Discoverer, used in 2016 to explore the geology of layered rocks in the Mariana Trench, at depths of around 20,000 feet (6100 meters).
1960: Mariana Trench – The Deepest Point on Earth

The Mariana Trench, the deepest point on Earth, was first explored by Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard, revealing a world of deep-sea biodiversity

Geologist Eugene Shoemaker (center, holding hammer) lectures on the geology of impact craters to a group of astronauts at Meteor Crater, Arizona, in 1967.
1960: Eugene Shoemaker – Unveiling the Impact Craters on Earth

Eugene Shoemaker's research transformed our understanding of impact cratering on Earth, proving the asteroidal origins of features like Meteor Crater

A 1960 photo of engineers testing the Television Infrared Observation Satellite (TIROS), the world's first successful weather satellite, at RCA in Princeton, New Jersey.
1960: The Evolution of Weather Satellites – From TIROS-1 to GOES

Weather satellites, beginning with TIROS-1 and evolving to the GOES series, transformed global weather forecasting, providing a continuous and comprehensive view of weather patterns

The aurora borealis, or northern lights, gleaming brightly over Bear Lake, Alaska, in January 2005. Auroral displays like this are the result of high-energy solar-wind particles interacting with Earth's magnetic field and with particles trapped in the Van Allen radiation belts.
1958: Discovery of Earth’s Van Allen Radiation Belts by Explorer 1

Explorer 1, led by James Van Allen, revealed the existence of Earth's Van Allen Radiation Belts, a major discovery in space science and Earth's magnetic field study

Photographer Galen Rowell is reflected in the mirrored surface of the ceremonial South Pole outside the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Research Station.
1957-1958: The International Geophysical Year – Fostering Collaboration in Earth Sciences

The International Geophysical Year (IGY) was a pivotal period of global scientific cooperation in earth sciences, leading to major discoveries and the Antarctic Treaty

A replica of Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial space satellite, on display at the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. The metallic sphere has a diameter of approximately 23 inches (58 centimeters), with antennae extending out about 112 inches (9 feet; 285 centimeters).
1957: Sputnik – The Satellite that Kickstarted the Space Age

Sputnik's launch by the Soviet Union in 1957, led by Sergei Korolev, ignited the Space Age and spurred significant advancements in space exploration and technology