50 Years Ago

A significant milestone on the road to space flight was passed on August 20, when, for the first time, living animals were successfully brought back to earth after being in orbit in space, aboard the second Russian space-ship satellite [Sputnik 5]... The living creatures in the satellite included two dogs, 40 mice (21 black and 19 white) and 2 rats ... It is stated that the pulse and rate of respiration of the dogs were measured and their behaviour observed by television, the information being stored and telemetered back to earth. On the eighteenth revolution of the satellite its velocity was reduced by a retro-rocket and it descended through the atmosphere; all the animals and biological specimens are reported as being recovered in good condition.

From Nature 3 September 1960.

100 Years Ago

The argument lately arrived at by the representatives of Great Britain and the Congo has affected the settlement of a troublesome boundary dispute ... The original agreement ... was signed at Brussels on May 9, 1894. By this it was enacted:— “That the sphere of influence of the Independent Congo State shall be limited to the north of the German sphere in East Africa by a frontier following the thirtieth meridian ...” At the time this agreement was made the 30th meridian was shown on the maps as dividing Lake Edward into two approximately equal parts ... T he actual event proved that the selection of this line had resulted in the maximum of inconvenience and loss. The true position of the meridian was found to be about half a degree east of its position as assumed in 1894, and a strict interpretation of the letter of the treaty would have involved our retirement from Lake Edward and from practically the whole of the Ruwenzori district. Such a contingency was obviously intolerable.

From Nature 1 September 1910.