Launch of Early Bird, the first commercial communications satellite to be placed in geosynchronous orbit.

Early Bird, also known as Intelsat I, was indeed the first commercial communications satellite to be placed in geosynchronous orbit. It was launched on April 6, 1965, by NASA for the Communications Satellite Corporation (COMSAT), which later became Intelsat.

Purpose: Early Bird was designed to relay television, telephone, and telegraph signals between the United States and Europe. Its geosynchronous orbit meant that it stayed fixed relative to a point on Earth, allowing for continuous communication coverage between these regions.

Design and Technology: The satellite was cylindrical in shape, measuring about 76 centimeters (30 inches) in diameter and 170 centimeters (67 inches) in length. It weighed approximately 34 kilograms (75 pounds). Early Bird used a system of microwave relay and ground stations to receive, amplify, and retransmit signals.

Launch and Orbit: Early Bird was launched aboard a Delta D rocket from Cape Kennedy (now Cape Canaveral) in Florida. It was placed into a geosynchronous orbit, specifically positioned over the Atlantic Ocean.

Operational Success: Early Bird was highly successful and revolutionized global communications. It facilitated the transmission of the first live television broadcasts across the Atlantic, including the historic boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston in 1965. It also significantly reduced the time delay in international telephone calls.

Later Operations: Early Bird operated for almost four years, far surpassing its expected operational lifespan of 18 months. It was eventually retired in 1969 but remained in orbit as a backup until 1976.

Legacy: Early Bird’s success paved the way for the development and deployment of subsequent communications satellites. It demonstrated the feasibility and reliability of satellite communication systems, leading to the rapid expansion of global telecommunications networks.

Launch of Pioneer 11 spacecraft.

Pioneer 11 was a NASA spacecraft launched on April 6, 1973, with the primary mission of studying the gas giant planets Jupiter and Saturn. It was the second spacecraft to visit Jupiter, after Pioneer 10, and the first to flyby Saturn.

The spacecraft was designed and built by NASA’s Ames Research Center, and it weighed about 260 kilograms (570 pounds). It was powered by four radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs), which provided electrical power for its scientific instruments and communication systems.

During its journey, Pioneer 11 made important scientific discoveries, including confirming the existence of a radiation belt around Jupiter, identifying new moons around both Jupiter and Saturn, and discovering the complex structure of Saturn’s rings.

The spacecraft continued to transmit data back to Earth until its last contact on September 30, 1995, when it was about 6.5 billion miles from Earth. Pioneer 11 is currently drifting through space and is expected to continue to do so indefinitely, as it is not on an intercept course with any known objects.

Pioneer 11 was a groundbreaking mission, paving the way for future exploration of the outer solar system. Its legacy lives on as an important milestone in the history of space exploration.

At the Cape of Good Hope, Dutch sailor Jan van Riebeeck establishes a resupply camp that eventually becomes Cape Town.

The first Tony Awards are presented for theatrical achievement.

The Bosnian War begins.

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The Pioneer 11 spacecraft is launched.

Pioneer 11 also known as Pioneer G is a 259-kilogram robotic space probe launched by NASA on April 6, 1973 to study the asteroid belt, the environment around Jupiter and Saturn, solar wind and cosmic rays. It was the first probe to encounter Saturn and the second to fly through the asteroid belt and by Jupiter. Thereafter, Pioneer 11 became the second of five artificial objects to achieve the escape velocity that will allow them to leave the Solar System. Due to power constraints and the vast distance to the probe, the last routine contact with the spacecraft was on September 30, 1995, and the last good engineering data was received on November 24, 1995.

The Pioneer 11 probe was launched on April 6, 1973 at 02:11:00 UTC, by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration from Space Launch Complex 36A at Cape Canaveral, Florida aboard an Atlas-Centaur launch vehicle. Its twin probe, Pioneer 10, had launched a year earlier on March 3, 1972. Pioneer 11 was launched on a trajectory directly aimed at Jupiter without any prior gravitational assists. In May 1974, Pioneer was retargeted to fly past Jupiter on a north-south trajectory enabling a Saturn flyby in 1979. The maneuver used 17 pounds of propellant, lasted 42 minutes and 36 seconds and increased Pioneer 11’s speed by 230 km/h. It also made two mid-course corrections, on April 11, 1973 and November 7, 1974.

The first Tony Awards are given for theatrical achievement.

The American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards® got their start in 1947 when the Wing established an awards program to celebrate excellence in the theatre.

Named for Antoinette Perry, an actress, director, producer, and the dynamic wartime leader of the American Theatre Wing who had recently passed away, the Tony Awards made their official debut at a dinner in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria hotel on Easter Sunday, April 6, 1947. Vera Allen, Perry’s successor as chairwoman of the Wing, presided over an evening that included dining, dancing, and a program of entertainment. The dress code was black tie optional, and the performers who took to the stage included Mickey Rooney, Herb Shriner, Ethel Waters, and David Wayne. Eleven Tonys were presented in seven categories, and there were eight special awards, including one for Vincent Sardi, proprietor of the eponymous eatery on West 44th Street. Big winners that night included José Ferrer, Arthur Miller, Helen Hayes, Ingrid Bergman, Patricia Neal, Elia Kazan and Agnes de Mille.

During the first two years of the Tonys (1947 and 1948), there was no official Tony Award. The winners were presented with a scroll and, in addition, such mementos as a gold money clip (for the men) and a compact (for the women).

In 1949 the designers’ union, United Scenic Artists, sponsored a contest for a suitable model for the award. The winning entry, a disk-shaped medallion designed by Herman Rosse, depicted the masks of comedy and tragedy on one side and the profile of Antoinette Perry on the other. The medallion was initiated that year at the third annual dinner. It continues to be the official Tony Award.

Since 1968 the medallion has been mounted on a black pedestal with a curved armature. After the ceremony, each award is numbered for tracking purposes and engraved with the winner’s name.

California Highway Patrol officers are killed in a shootout in Newhall, Los Angeles.

The New York Slave Revolt of 1712 begins.