References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2008 June 28.

start-1899	1900-1949	1950-1964	1965-1969	1970-1974	1975-1979	1980-1984	1985-1989	1990-1994	1995-1999
2000-end

1975 January 5 Salyut 4 with crew of two is launched for 30 days. [1] January 11 Soyuz 17 carries two cosmonauts to space station Salyut 4. [1] January 22 Landsat 2, an Earth Resources Technology Satellite, launched. [1] February 9 Soyuz 17 returns to Earth. [1] March 16 US Mariner 10 makes third and final fly-by of Mercury. [1] April 5 Soyuz 18A launch aborted short of orbit; cosmonauts return safely. [1] April 19 India launches first satellite with help of USSR. [1] May 7 Small Astronomy Satellite Explorer 53 launched to study X-rays. [1] May 24 Soyuz 18B carries two cosmonauts to space station Salyut 4. [1] May 28 Soyuz 18 launches. [1] May 30 European Space Agency (ESA) forms. [1] June 8 USSR launches Venera 9 for Venus landing. [1] June 9 E Roemer discovers asteroid #1983 Bok. [1] June 13 Felix Aguilar Observatory discovers asteroid #2219 Mannucci. [1] June 14 USSR launches Venera 10 for Venus landing. [1] June 21 Soyuz 19 returns to Earth. [1] July 1 Felix Aguilar Observatory discovers asteroid #2680. [1] July 11 L Chernykh discovers asteroid #2489 Suvorov. [1] July 15 Soyuz 19 and Apollo 18 launched; rendezvous two days later. [1] July 17 Apollo 18 and Soyuz 19 make first US/USSR linkup in space. [1] July 19 Apollo and Soyuz, linked in orbit for two days, separate. [1] July 24 Apollo 18 returns to Earth. [1] July 26 Soyuz 18B returns to Earth. [1] August 20 Viking 1 launched toward orbit around Mars, soft landing. [1] August 29 Star in Cygnus goes nova becoming fourth brightest in sky. [1] September 9 Viking 2 launched toward orbit around Mars, soft landing. [1] September 17 Rollout of first space shuttle orbiter Enterprise (OV-101). [1] October 12 NASA launches space vehicle S-195. [1] October 17 First Space Shuttle main engine test at National Space Tech Labs, Mississippi. [1] October 21 Venera 9, first craft to orbit the planet Venus, launched. [1] October 22 Soviet spacecraft Venera 9 soft-lands on Venus. [1] October 25 USSR's Venera 10 makes day-side Venus landing. [1] December 5 NASA launches space vehicle S-196; it fails. [1] 1976 January 15 US-German Helios B solar probe launched into solar orbit. [1] January 17 Hermes rocket launched by European Space Agency. [1] January 29 Zeiss planetarium in Hague, Netherlands, destroyed by fire. [1] March 8 1,774 kg (largest observed) stony meteorite falls in Jilin, China. [1] May 22 NASA launches space vehicle S-179. [1] June 19 US Viking 1 goes into Martian orbit after 10-month flight from Earth. [1] July 6 Soyuz 21 carries two cosmonauts to Salyut 5 space station. [1] July 7 Viking 2 goes into orbit around Mars. [1] July 20 US Viking 1 lands on Mars at Chryse Planitia, first Martian landing. [1] [5] July 31 NASA releases the famous Face on Mars photo taken by Viking 1. [5] August 7 Scientists in Pasadena, California, announce Viking I found strongest indications to date of possible life on Mars. [1] US Viking 2 goes into Martian orbit after 11-month flight from Earth. [1] August 9 USSR launches Luna 24, last Lunar flight to date from Earth. [1] August 12 First approach and lands test (ALT) of orbiter Enterprise. [1] August 18 USSR's Luna 24 soft-lands on Moon. [1] August 24 Soyuz 21 returns to Earth. [1] September 1 NASA launches space vehicle S-197. [1] September 3 Viking 2 soft lands on Mars (Utopia), returns photos. [1] September 13 Second space shuttle Enterprise approach and lands test (ALT) flight (5 minutes 28 seconds). [1] September 15 Soyuz 22 carries two cosmonauts into Earth orbit for eight days. [1] September 17 NASA publicly unveils space shuttle Enterprise in Palmdale, California. [1] September 23 Soyuz 22 returns to Earth. [1] October 12 Fifth Space Shuttle Enterprise approach and land test (ALT) flight. [1] October 14 Soyuz 23 carries two to Salyut 6, but returns without docking. [1] October 16 Soyuz 23 returns to Earth. [1] October 25 Fifth Enterprise approach and lands test (ALT) flight. [1] November 25 Viking 1 radio signal from Mars helps prove general theory of relativity. [1] 1977 February 2 Burn up of Salyut 4 Space Station (USSR). [1] February 7 Soyuz 24 launches with two cosmonauts. [1] February 18 Space Shuttle above a Boeing 747 goes on its maiden flight. [1] February 19 Space shuttle Enterprise makes first test flight atop a 747 jetliner. [1] February 25 Soyuz 24 returns to Earth. [1] February 26 First flight of Space Shuttle (atop a Boeing 747). [1] March 10 Rings of Uranus discovered during occultation of SAO. [1] April 29 British Aerospace forms. [1] June 18 Space Shuttle test model Enterprise carries a crew aloft. [1] July 12 First free flight test of space shuttle Enterprise. [1] July 14 N Chernykh discovers asteroids #2286 Fesenkov, #2492 Kutuzov. [1] July 19 N Chernykh discovers asteroid #2228 Soyuz-Apollo. [1] August 12 High Energy Astronomy Observatory 1 launched into Earth orbit. [1] Space shuttle Enterprise makes first atmospheric flight. [1] August 13 First test glide of the space shuttle. [1] August 20 NASA launches Voyager 2 towards Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. [1] September 5 Voyager 1 (US) launched toward fly-by of Jupiter, Saturn. [1] September 13 Second test of the Space Shuttle Enterprise. [1] September 18 US Voyager I takes the first space photograph of the Earth and Moon together. [1] [5] September 20 Voyager 2 launched for fly-by of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. [1] September 23 Third test of Space Shuttle Enterprise. [1] September 29 Soviet space station Salyut 6 is launched into Earth orbit. [1] October 9 Soyuz 25 is launched to Salyut 6, but returns after failing to dock. [1] October 11 Soyuz 25 returns to Earth. [1] October 12 4th test of the space shuttle Enterprise. [1] October 22 International Sun-Earth Explorers 1 and 2 launched into Earth orbit. [1] October 26 5th and final test of space shuttle Enterprise. [1] October 27 NASA launches space vehicle S-200. [1] November 23 European weather satellite Meteosat 1 is launched from Cape Canaveral. [1] December 10 Soyuz 26 carries two cosmonauts to Salyut 6 space station. [1] December 20 First Space walk made by G Grechko from Salyut. [1] 1978 January 10 Soyuz 27 carries two cosmonauts to Salyut 6 space station. [1] January 11 Soyuz 27 links with Salyut 6 and Soyuz 26 (first time three spacecraft link). [1] January 16 Soyuz 27 returns to Earth. [1] January 18 Thiokol conducts second test firing of space shuttle's solid rocket boosters. [1] January 26 International Ultraviolet Explorer placed in Earth orbit. [1] March 2 Soyuz 28 carries two cosmonauts (one Czechoslovakian) to Salyut 6. [1] March 5 Landsat 3 launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. [1] March 10 Soyuz 28 returns to Earth. [1] March 16 Soyuz 26 returns to Earth. [1] March 31 USSR launches Kosmos 1000 navigational satellite. [1] April 26 NASA launches space vehicle S-201. [1] May 20 US launches Pioneer Venus 1; produces first global radar map of Venus. [1] June 6 A Mrkos discovers asteroids #2199 Klet and #3339. [1] June 15 Soyuz 29 carries two cosmonauts to Salyut 6; they stay 139 days. [1] June 22 Charon, a satellite of the dwarf planet Pluto, is discovered by James Christy. [1] [5] June 27 Soyuz 30 carries two cosmonauts (one Polish) to Salyut 6 space station. [1] US Seasat 1, first oceanographic satellite, launched into polar orbit. [1] July 4 L Chernykh discovers asteroid #3332. [1] July 5 Soyuz 30 spacecraft touches down in Soviet Kazakhstan. [1] July 8 Pioneer-Venus 2 Multi-probe launched to Venus. [1] July 9 L Chernykh discovers asteroid #2530 Shipka. [1] July 10 E F Helinand E Shoemaker discovers asteroid #3484. [1] July 28 Perth Observatory discovers asteroids #3188 and #3422. [1] July 29 Pioneer 11 transmits images of Saturn and its rings. [1] August 8 Pioneer-Venus 2 with five atmospheric probes launched toward Venus. [1] August 26 Soyuz 31 carries two cosmonauts (one East German) to Salyut 6. [1] September 3 Crew of Soyuz 31 returns to Earth aboard Soyuz 29. [1] October 13 Tiros N, US's first third-generation weather satellite, is launched. [1] November 2 Crew of Soyuz 29 returns to Earth aboard Soyuz 31. [1] November 13 NASA launches HEAO. [1] December 4 Pioneer Venus 1 goes into orbit around Venus. [1] December 9 Pioneer Venus 2 drops five probes into atmosphere of Venus. [1] 1979 January 21 Neptune becomes outermost planet (Pluto moves closer). [1] February 7 Neptune becomes farthest planet from the sun in our solar system (will remain that way for 20 years). [1] February 12 Kosmos 1076, first Soviet oceanographic satellite, launched. [1] February 18 NASA launches space vehicle S-202. [1] February 21 Japan launches Hakucho x-ray satellite and Corsa-B (550/580 km). [1] February 25 Soyuz 32 carries two cosmonauts to Salyut 6 space station. [1] February 26 Last total eclipse of Sun in 20th century for continental USA. [1] March 4 US Voyager I photo reveals Jupiter's rings. [1] March 5 Voyager I's closest approach to Jupiter (172,000 miles). [1] March 8 First extraterrestrial volcano discovered (Jupiter's satellite Io). [1] Shuttle Columbia (OV-102) transported 38 miles overland from Palmdale. [1] March 20 Columbia flies on Shuttle carrier aircraft to Kennedy Space Center. [1] March 24 Space shuttle Columbia flown on aircraft carrier lands at Kennedy Space Center. [1] March 25 The first fully functional space shuttle orbiter (Columbia) is delivered to the John F. Kennedy Space Center to be prepared for its first launch. [5] April 5 Pioneer 11 launched towards Jupiter. [1] April 10 Soyuz 33 launched with a Russian and a Bulgarian. [1] April 12 Soyuz 33 returns to Earth. [1] May 4 NASA launches Fltsatcom-2. [1] May 5 Voyager 1 passes Jupiter. [1] June 2 NASA launches space vehicle S-198. [1] June 7 Bhaskara 1, Indian Earth resources/meteorology satellite, launched. [1] June 15 First space shuttle solid rocket booster qualification test firing; 122 seconds. [1] June 16 H-E Schuster discovers asteroid #2275. [1] June 25 E F Helin and S J Bus discovers asteroid #2343 Siding Spring. [1] July 8 Voyager 2 takes first ever photo of Jupiter's satellite Adrastea (J14). [1] July 9 Voyager 2 flies past Jupiter. [1] July 11 US Skylab enters atmosphere over Australia and disintegrates. [1] July 21 N Chernykh discovers asteroids #2585 Irpedina and #3298. [1] July 23 E Bowell discovers asteroid #2736 Ops. [1] July 31 N Chernykh discovers asteroids #2402 Satpaev and #2416 Sharonov. [1] August 19 Crew of Soyuz 32 returns to Earth aboard Soyuz 34 after 175-day flight. [1] August 30 First recorded occurrence - comet Howard-Koomur-Michels hits sun (energy equals 1 million hydrogen bombs). [1] September 1 Pioneer 11 makes first fly-by of Saturn, discovers new moon, rings. [1] September 20 NASA launches HEAO. [1] October 30 NASA launches space vehicle S-203. [1] December 24 First Ariane-rocket launched. [1]