This Week in History (July 19–25): Apollo 11, Chandrayaan-2, India's first woman president and more
History is shaped by moments that leave a lasting impact. This week marks the anniversaries of several such milestones, including the Apollo 11 Moon l…
1/7July 19 | On this day in 1977, the world’s first GPS signal was transmitted by the Navigation Technology Satellite-2 and received at a ground station in Iowa in the US. The milestone helped pave the way for the Global Positioning System (GPS), which today powers everything from smartphone navigation and aviation to shipping and military operations. (Image: Canva)
2/7July 20 | On this day in 1969, humans landed on the Moon for the first time when the Apollo 11 lunar module Eagle touched down on the lunar surface. Hours later, Neil Armstrong became the first person to step onto the Moon, followed by Buzz Aldrin, in one of humanity’s greatest achievements in science and exploration. (Image: Canva)
3/7July 21 | On this day in 1960, Sirimavo Bandaranaike took office as prime minister of Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, becoming the world’s first woman prime minister. Her election marked a historic breakthrough for women in global politics and began a political dynasty that would shape Sri Lankan politics for decades. (Image: Canva)
4/7July 22 | On this day in 2019, India launched Chandrayaan-2, its second lunar exploration mission, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. While the Vikram lander’s attempt to soft-land near the Moon’s south pole was unsuccessful, the orbiter continued its scientific mission, and the lessons learned from Chandrayaan-2 helped shape India’s successful Chandrayaan-3 mission. (Image: ISRO)
5/7July 23 | On this day in 1952, Egypt’s Free Officers Movement, led by military officers including Muhammad Naguib and Gamal Abdel Nasser, launched a revolution that overthrew King Farouk, ending the monarchy and paving the way for Egypt to become a republic. (Image: Canva)
6/7July 24 | On this day in 1991, then Finance Minister Manmohan Singh presented a landmark Union Budget as India faced a severe balance-of-payments crisis. Alongside a series of reforms undertaken by the PV Narasimha Rao government, the Budget helped dismantle much of the Licence Raj, opened the economy to greater foreign investment and competition, and marked a decisive turn towards economic liberalisation. (Image: Reuters)
7/7July 25 | On this day in 2007, Pratibha Patil was sworn in as India’s first woman President, marking a historic milestone for women’s representation in the country’s highest constitutional office. (Image: Reuters) (Image: Reuters)