Which event does this 1960 photograph show?

The first nuclear powered aircraft carrier takes to the water (1960). USS Enterprise was launched on 24 September 1960 with eight reactors, the first nuclear powered aircraft carrier in the world. She could steam for years without refuelling, and stayed in service for 51 years, longer than any other American carrier.

Which event does this 1929 photograph show?

A pilot takes off, flies and lands without ever seeing outside (1929). Jimmy Doolittle flew under a canvas hood on 24 September 1929, taking off, circling and landing on instruments alone, with a safety pilot in front who never touched the controls. The artificial horizon and directional gyro he used were built for the experiment. Every instrument landing since traces back to that flight.

Which event does this 1906 photograph show?

A president protects a landmark by inventing a new kind of protection (1906). Theodore Roosevelt used the brand new Antiquities Act to declare Devils Tower the first national monument on 24 September 1906, a device that let a president protect land without waiting for Congress. Presidents have used it more than 160 times since. The tower is sacred to several Plains tribes, who know it as Bear Lodge.

Which event does this 1852 photograph show?

A steam engine is carried aloft and an aircraft is steered for the first time (1852). Henri Giffard flew about seventeen miles from Paris on 24 September 1852 under a 143 foot gas envelope, driven by a three horsepower steam engine turning a propeller. He could make slow turns, which made it the first steerable aircraft, but not enough speed to fly back against the wind.

Which event does this 1789 photograph show?

A single act of Congress creates a country's entire court system (1789). The Constitution said there should be a supreme court and left almost everything else blank. The Judiciary Act, signed on 24 September 1789, filled in the rest: six justices, thirteen district courts, and an attorney general. The court had no building of its own for 146 years and borrowed rooms in the Capitol, including this one.

What happened on September 24? USS Enterprise, Jimmy Doolittle's blind flight and 3 more

What happened on September 24

All 5 specimens from this file, spanning 1789 to 1960, with the story behind each photograph.

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Military · 1960

The first nuclear powered aircraft carrier takes to the water

USS Enterprise was launched on 24 September 1960 with eight reactors, the first nuclear powered aircraft carrier in the world. She could steam for years without refuelling, and stayed in service for 51 years, longer than any other American carrier.
Aviation · 1929

A pilot takes off, flies and lands without ever seeing outside

Jimmy Doolittle flew under a canvas hood on 24 September 1929, taking off, circling and landing on instruments alone, with a safety pilot in front who never touched the controls. The artificial horizon and directional gyro he used were built for the experiment. Every instrument landing since traces back to that flight.
Nature · 1906

A president protects a landmark by inventing a new kind of protection

Theodore Roosevelt used the brand new Antiquities Act to declare Devils Tower the first national monument on 24 September 1906, a device that let a president protect land without waiting for Congress. Presidents have used it more than 160 times since. The tower is sacred to several Plains tribes, who know it as Bear Lodge.
Technology · 1852

A steam engine is carried aloft and an aircraft is steered for the first time

Henri Giffard flew about seventeen miles from Paris on 24 September 1852 under a 143 foot gas envelope, driven by a three horsepower steam engine turning a propeller. He could make slow turns, which made it the first steerable aircraft, but not enough speed to fly back against the wind.
Law · 1789

A single act of Congress creates a country's entire court system

The Constitution said there should be a supreme court and left almost everything else blank. The Judiciary Act, signed on 24 September 1789, filled in the rest: six justices, thirteen district courts, and an attorney general. The court had no building of its own for 146 years and borrowed rooms in the Capitol, including this one.