theLogBook.com is a chronicle of how we used to imagine the future – an ever-expanding
logbook of what our entertainment, our culture, and even our brightest minds thought would happen.
It’s nostalgia – and some real history – that gives factual context to the fiction, cultural
context to the factual, and always looks to the future.

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Published On: October 7, 2014

The FlashThe first episode of The Flash, a modern-day reboot of DC Comics’ superhero, premieres on the CW, starring Grant Gustin. The series has been developed for TV by Greg Berlanti, creator of Arrow and past TV successes including Everwood and Eli Stone, and is part of the CW’s “shared universe” of DC Comics adaptations frequently referred to by fans as the Arrowverse. Stephen Amell (Arrow) guest stars; Barry Allen’s father is played by John Wesley Shipp, who played The Flash in his last TV series during the 1990-91 season.

This series is not yet chronicled in the LogBook. You could join theLogBook team and write this guide or support the webmaster’s efforts to expand the site.

Published On: October 7, 2012

Dragon at ISSHaving successfully demonstrated an unmanned cargo vehicle to make supply runs to the International Space Station, SpaceX launches the first Dragon capsule to the ISS under its new commercial resupply contract with NASA. The flight is not without difficulties: one of the nine engines of the Falcon 9 booster’s first stage shuts down in flight without impacting the Dragon capsule’s ability to reach the right orbit, but a secondary payload – a commercial satellite to be launched from the Falcon’s upper stage – is stranded in the wrong orbit and falls back into Earth’s atmosphere in days. NASA and SpaceX begin a joint investigation into the mishap, while the Dragon capsule docks with the ISS and remains in orbit for nearly three weeks as Expedition 33 crew members unload new cargo and stow items for return to Earth aboard the capsule, which will be recovered on Earth after splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

Published On: October 7, 2010

Soyuz TMA-01MPart of the 25th full-time crew of the International Space Station lifts off from Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard Soyuz TMA-01M. This is a newly redesigned and upgraded Soyuz vehicle, boasting fully digital navigation and automation. Aleksandr Kaleri, Oleg Skripochka and Scott Kelly take up residence on the ISS for 159 days, becoming part of the Expedition 25/26 crews. All three return to Earth in March 2011 aboard the same vehicle.

Published On: October 7, 2008

2008 TC3Detected only 20 hours before, the meteoroid designated 2008 TC3 burns up and explodes in Earth’s atmosphere, exploding 23 miles above the Sudanese desert. Estimated to be over ten feet in diameter prior to losing most of its mass to heating in the Earth’s atmosphere, 2008 TC3 is thought to have weighed in at approximately 80 tons; hundred of fragments with a total weight of a little over 20 pounds are recovered from the desert. This is the first Near-Earth Object detected prior to impact or destruction by the NASA-funded Spaceguard survey, though the time between detection, confirmation and arrival is less than a day.

Published On: October 7, 2005

FireflyAs part of its repeat of the entire series (which has now attained cult status), Sci-Fi Channel airs the 12th episode of Joss Whedon’s science fiction series Firefly, starring Nathan Fillion. (This is an episode left unaired from the series’ original run on Fox, not a newly produced episode.) Christina Hendricks (Mad Men) guest stars. Read more

Published On: October 7, 2002

Space ShuttleSpace Shuttle Atlantis lifts off on the 111th shuttle flight, an 11-day construction mission to the International Space Station. Another major structural truss is assembled and attached, serving the primary function of radiating built-up waste heat away from the station and into space. Aboard Atlantis for her 26th flight are Commander Jeff Ashby, Pilot Pamela Melroy, and mission specialists David Wolf, Piers Sellers, Sandra Magnus and Fyodor Yurchikhin.

Published On: October 7, 2002

Hubble Space TelescopeNASA’s Hubble Space Telescope spots an object beyond the orbit of Pluto, and approximately half the size of Pluto – the largest object discovered in the solar system in over 70 years. With a circular orbit that’s a billion miles further from the sun than Pluto, the body is determined to be approximately 800 miles in diameter. Quaoar is believed to be the largest Kuiper Belt object discovered to date, though its thunder will be stolen a few years later with the discovery of Eris and the demotion of Pluto to a dwarf planet.

Published On: October 7, 1982

Q*BertPinball maker D. Gottlieb & Co., via its Mylstar video game division, graces arcades with the qute qreatures of Q*Bert. Though it rakes in quarters abundantly, Q*Bert’s easily recognizable characters briefly prove to be a licensing gold mine, resulting in toys, clothing, children’s books, and even a Saturday morning cartoon. The game is fast-tracked to numerous home video game systems. Read more

Published On: October 7, 1978

Doctor WhoThe 485th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1, continuing the Key To Time storyline. This is the first Doctor Who script written by Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy). Bruce Purchase guest stars.

This timeline entry leads to an entry covering this entire Doctor Who serial; there are plans to write new episodic entries in the future. You can support this effort!
Order Earl Green’s book VWORP!1 from theLogBook.com Store

Published On: October 7, 1973

The Evil TouchThe fourth episode of the horror anthology series The Evil Touch airs on Australia’s Nine Network, hosted by Anthony Quayle (Strange Report). (The series will later appear in the U.S. and elsewhere in first-run syndication.) Leslie Nielsen (Airplane!) guest stars as an airline pilot, but that’s not important right now.

This series is not yet chronicled in the LogBook. You could join theLogBook team and write this guide or support the webmaster’s efforts to expand the site.

Published On: October 7, 1967

Doctor WhoThe 175th episode of Doctor Who airs on the BBC. This is the first of two Troughton-era stories featuring the robotic Yeti. Jack Watling (the father of series regular Deborah Watling) guest stars. This is the only intact episode remaining of this story.

This timeline entry leads to an entry covering this entire Doctor Who serial; there are plans to write new episodic entries in the future. You can support this effort!
Order Earl Green’s book VWORP!1 from theLogBook.com Store

Published On: October 7, 1958

MercuryThe newly-formed NASA reveals a bold plan: Project Mercury will be an extensive program to create a vehicle capable of safely sending men into Earth orbit and returning them in one piece. The rigorous selection process to find the country’s first space pilots – astronauts – begins, focusing on combat pilots and especially test pilots with experience in flying unproven experimental aircraft (the Mercury spacecraft will definitely qualify for this description).

Absolutely no generative AI was used in the creation of the content on this website.
It’s mostly just some guy named Earl.

EG