July 14, 1965: The 1st Close-Up Pictures of the Planet Mars

July 14, 1965: Mariner 4 takes the 1st close-up pictures of Mars, the planet in the solar system most like the Earth.

Mariner 4 was launched at Cape Canaveral on November 28, 1964. It captured the 1st images of another planet ever returned from deep space. Their depiction of a cratered, dead planet largely changed the scientific community's view of life on Mars: While many had hoped to find it, the photos returned by Mariner 4 all but wiped out the possibility. Later missions, including the Viking landers of the mid-1970s, pretty much ruled it out.

Despite most American TV shows that had not already done so

switching to color for the 1965-66 TV season,

NASA wouldn't spring for all-color photos.

Other mission objectives were to perform field and particle measurements in interplanetary space in the vicinity of Mars, and to provide experience in and knowledge of the engineering capabilities for interplanetary flights of long duration. Initially expected to remain in space for eight months, Mariner 4's mission lasted about 3 years in solar orbit. On December 21, 1967, with NASA having gotten all it asked for from it, communications with Mariner 4 were terminated.

Mariner 3 was launched on November 5, 1964, but it failed to operate. Mariners 6 and 7 were launched in 1969, and returned new photos and information from Mars. Mariner 8 failed at launch on May 9, 1971. Mariner 9 became the 1st Earth probe to orbit Mars, on October 27, 1972.

Mariners 1, 2 and 5 went to Venus, but only Mariner 5 accomplished its mission: Not to return photographs, but to measure magnetic fields and various emissions of the Venusian atmosphere. Mariner 10, the last mission of the project, went to Venus in 1974, and got the 1st detailed photos of that planet. It then went on to do the same with Mercury.

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July 14, 1965 was a Wednesday. Adlai Stevenson, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, former Governor of Illinois, and the Democratic Party's 1952 and 1956 nominee for President, died on this day.

There were 3 baseball games played:

* A doubleheader was split at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The Chicago Cubs won the opener, 5-2. The Milwaukee Braves won the nightcap, 6-3. Over the 2 games, Ernie Banks went 3-for-5 with 3 walks, and Hank Aaron went 0-for-6, but did have an RBI on a sacrifice fly in the 1st game, and drew a walk in the 2nd game. Also in the 2nd game, Gene Oliver hit 2 home runs for the Braves.

* And the Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Indians, 12-10 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. The Indians led 8-6 after 8 innings. In the 9th, the White Sox scored 3, and the Indians 1 to send it to extra innings. This was repeated in the 12th: The White Sox scored 3 runs, the Indians only 1.