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- March 7th, 1996 🪐
March 7th, 1996 🪐
Pluto was a happier planet in 1996.
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Today, we’re dialing the time machine to March 7th, 1996. Today, we got a closer look at the furthest planet (pardon me, dwarf planet) in our solar system, Pluto.
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To 1996 we go! 🚀
March 7th, 1996 📆
On March 7th, 1996, the Hubble telescope released the first-ever snapshots of nearly the entire surface of Pluto. The photos, taken over a 6.4-day period, revealed that Pluto had more large-scale contrast than any planet except Earth.
To this point in history, Pluto was the only planet in our solar system that hadn’t been visited by spacecraft. These images led to more discovery and exploration of the planet over the next 20 years, and in 2015, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft flew by Pluto. Click HERE to see the clearest image of Pluto taken by the New Horizons spacecraft in 2024.
In honor of Pluto’s self-esteem, we won’t mention the fact that the International Astronomical Union reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet in 2006.
 Image of Pluto taken in 1996 |  Image of Pluto taken in 2024 |
For those of you who weren’t interested in mid-90s astronomy, an all-new episode of Seinfeld (“The Friars Club”) aired at 9 pm on NBC.
Take Me Back ⏮️
🎥 What we’re watching: Broken Arrow featuring John Travolta and Christian Slater
🕹️ What we’re playing: Super Mario 64 on N64 (greatest game + console ever? 🤔)
🛒 What we’re buying: Barbie Dream House Playset by Mattel
👦 Who we’re following: Jim Carrey, the highest-grossing star of 1996
🍔 What we’re eating: McDonald’s Arch Deluxe, AKA “the burger with grown-up taste”
🎤 What we’re singing: “One Sweet Day” by Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men
🥤 What we’re drinking: Green Apple Jones Soda 👇
Can you name this rad dude? (answer at the bottom of this newsletter)
Just For Fun 🙃
The Motorola StarTAC was flying off the shelves as the best-selling mobile phone in March of 1996, selling approximately 60 million units at a price of $1000 in its lifespan. It was the world’s-first “flip phone” and weighed less than 4 ounces.
There were two massive selling points of the StarTAC:
The ability to send AND receive SMS text messages
Vibration alerts (as opposed to ringtone-only alerts)
OOTD On This Day🧢
Baggy denim. Big belts. Flannel. Tattoo Chokers. Probably listening to Sublime.
Happy Birthday🎂
American actress Jenna Fischer turned 22 years old today. Fischer is best known for her role as Pam Beesley (or Pama-lama-ding-dong) in The Office (US).
Current Events 📰
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ANSWER: Professional BMX rider Mat Hoffman was known as a “Jones Pro Rider”.