Historical Events tagged with "chimpanzee"

Turns out history loves a label—battles, breakthroughs, and the occasional disaster, all neatly tagged for your browsing pleasure. Because sometimes you just need every weird invention in one place.

Space Exploration

Enos the Chimp's Historic Space Mission

November 29th, 1961 63 years ago

Enos, a chimpanzee, was launched aboard the Mercury capsule and became the first primate to orbit the Earth. The mission, conducted by NASA, aimed to study the effects of space travel on living organisms. During the flight, Enos orbited the Earth twice, successfully splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean near Puerto Rico. This significant event contributed valuable data for human space travel.

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Space Exploration

Ham the Chimpanzee's Space Launch

January 31st, 1961 64 years ago

Ham, a chimpanzee, was launched into space aboard the Mercury-Redstone 2 rocket. The mission lasted 16 minutes and included a suborbital flight, marking a significant step in the U.S. space program as it tested crucial life support systems and human interactions with spacecraft controls. Ham successfully completed the flight, demonstrating the viability of sending primates into space ahead of human missions.

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