3. Dear Diary, Nov 9, 1948 Today is my 14th birthday in high school at Rahway High. I still can’t get over the enormity of this school. It is the biggest building I’ve ever been in. In sophomore science, which happens to be my favorite class, they sang happy birthday to me. I was embarrassed but pleased. School is only fifteen miles away from NYC, so I can see NY from my Honors Literature class, which is on the top floor. It is odd being able to see New York when I am in New Jersey, which is where school and home is. I hope Mom will make a special supper tonight. A new president, Harry Truman, was elected on Nov. 2. Dad always says that I should pay attention to politics, as I will be participating in them in a few years. I learned something awesome today. I heard someone talking about it. Astronomers actually get paid for their work!
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6. Man Discovers Truth About Venus February 21, 1963 Carl Sagan, a renowned astronomer, has discovered an amazing fact about the planet Venus. As the satellite Mariner 2 flew on a fly-by, its microwave and infrared radiometers revealed that while Venus’s cloud tops were cool, the surface was extremely hot—at least 425°C, ending any hope of the planet harboring any life. Mariner 2, a small satellite consisting of solar panels, instrument booms, and highly sensitive antennas, was responsible for picking up the heat waves from the planet. Carl Sagan was successful in his theory of Venus being uninhabitable.