&w=3840&q=100)
History Today: How a Russian cosmonaut became the first human to say 'I do' in space
Ekaterina Dmitriev with a life-size cut-out of her new husband, Yuri Malenchenko, after her satellite wedding. File image/Reuters
History was created on August 10, 2003, when the Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko became the first person to get married while in space. The unique wedding ceremony took place while Malenchenko was orbiting Earth aboard the International Space Station (ISS), some 240 miles above New Zealand.
If you are a history geek who loves to learn about important events from the past, Firstpost Explainers' ongoing series, History Today, will be your one-stop destination to explore key events.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
First person to get married while in space
Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko became the first person to get married while in space on August 10, 2003. Orbiting Earth on the International Space Station (ISS), he exchanged vows via satellite with his bride, Ekaterina Dmitrieva. She stood on solid ground at Nasa's Johnson Space Centre in Texas.
The wedding was a blend of tradition and cosmic novelty. Dmitrieva wore a classic white wedding gown, processed down the aisle to David Bowie's 'Absolute Beginners,' and posed beside a life-size cardboard cutout of her groom. Up in orbit, Malenchenko donned a bow tie atop his flight suit, and astronaut Ed Lu, acting as best man, played the wedding march on a small keyboard aboard the ISS.
Ekaterina Dmitriev Malenchenko poses with a cardboard cutout of her new husband, cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, after their wedding ceremony in August 2003, while Malenchenko was still in space. File image/AP
Texas law allowed the ceremony to proceed despite one party's physical absence, with a proxy standing in for Malenchenko during the legal process. The ceremony was emotionally resonant, which Dmitrieva later described as 'celestial, soulful,' while guests exchanged smiles and kisses through the video link.
Yet the wedding wasn't without controversy. Russian authorities initially objected, citing rules that barred active officers from marrying foreign nationals while in space. They were ultimately overruled, but the event prompted Roscosmos to ban space marriages in future mission contracts.
King Louis XVI was arrested
On this day in 1792, King Louis XVI of France was officially arrested after a violent uprising in Paris, marking a crucial turning point in the French Revolution. The monarchy, already under intense scrutiny and losing popular support, faced its downfall when thousands of revolutionaries stormed the Tuileries Palace, where the royal family resided.
Amid rising tensions, Parisians, outraged by the king's vetoes, the dismissal of pro-revolution ministers, and his perceived ties to foreign powers, took to the streets. Armed National Guards, Sans-culottes, and radical citizens attacked the palace, leading to a bloody confrontation with royalist Swiss Guards. The violence left nearly 1,000 people dead, including hundreds of defenders loyal to the king.
Joseph Garat proclaims the arrest of death to the King Louis XVI. Wikimedia Commons
Louis XVI and his family fled to the nearby National Assembly, seeking protection. But instead of sanctuary, they were effectively taken into custody. The Legislative Assembly suspended the king's powers and declared him a prisoner of the nation. He was transferred to the Temple prison, along with Queen Marie Antoinette and their children, under increasingly harsh conditions.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
The events of August 10 shattered the illusion that a constitutional monarchy could survive the revolution. It set the stage for the abolition of the monarchy and the birth of the French Republic just weeks later.
This Day, That Year
On this day in 1914, France declared war on Austria-Hungary in World War I.
The Louvre Museum opened in Paris in 1793.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
When in Taurasi releasing? All about the docuseries as Klay Thompson hypes up the WNBA legend
Diana Taurasi's docuseries is now streaming (Image via Instagram / @dianataurasi) NBA legend Klay Thompson recently took to his Instagram Stories to share the poster for the upcoming Prime Video series, Taurasi. It is a docuseries based on the life and achievements of the WNBA legend, Diana Taurasi. It has already dropped on Amazon Prime Video on August 7. Diana Taurasi, her family, teammates, including WNBA champion Sue Bird and Geno Auriemma, coaches, agents, journalists, and Taurasi's coach at UConn, are all featured in the new documentary. Klay Thompson praises Diana Taurasi and hypes up her highly anticipated docuseries release Diana Taurasi has already been publicly admired by Klay Thompson. Her recent retirement as a great WNBA player prompted other basketball players to pay their respects. Klay Thompson also recognized her talent and her influence. The NBA legend praised Diana Taurasi as one of the best basketball players of all time in an interview with . He said: 'Oh, Diana Taurasi, I mean, one of the greatest basketball players of all time… I mean, six gold medals. I think a three-time champ, won at UConn, probably at least two, three times. So, I've been watching Diana since I was a little kid, and she's one of the greatest basketball players of all time. No question about that.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Container Houses Indonesia (Prices May Surprise You) Container House | Search ads Search Now Undo Now, recently he took to his Instagram Stories to share the poster of Taurasi, a series based on Diana Taurasi's life. The official description of the series read: 'Basketball legend Diana Taurasi shares the inside story of her life and career - with no stone left unturned..' Filmmaker Katie Bender Wynn documented her life for the last 18 months, as the WNBA star's remarkable career with the Phoenix Mercury and the U.S. women's national team drew to a conclusion. Her drive to PHX Arena for her final WNBA regular-season game, her final Olympic game in Paris, and her retirement media tour in New York City were all caught on camera. Diana Taurasi is a WNBA legend (Image via Instagram / @dianataurasi) The three-part documentary series further chronicles distinct eras of Diana Taurasi's life in each episode. Her early years, her three NCAA championships at UConn, and her selection as the first pick in the 2004 WNBA draft are all covered in the first episode. The second discusses her period in Russia, where she performed for Shabtai Kalmanovich, a Russian tycoon, and her marriage to Penny Taylor. The third discusses her experience on the 2024 Olympic team , including her absence from the gold medal game, her career with the team, and her doping scandal in Turkey. Right now, Prime Video is the only place to stream it. So, to watch the series, fans and interested people need to have an Amazon Prime membership. Also read: Who has Megan Thee Stallion dated before Klay Thompson? A timeline of her past relationships and rumored flings Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Economic Times
2 hours ago
- Economic Times
Eli Manning FedEx Prank: Here's what happened at PGA Tour Stars at St. Jude Championship. See disguise and opening lines
Reuters Eli Manning FedEx Prank: Eli Manning disguised as a FedEx delivery worker while pranking PGA Tour golfers at the St. Jude Championship in Memphis. File Photo Eli Manning FedEx Worker Prank's information along with details about PGA Tour Stars at St. Jude Championship. Eli Manning, the retired New York Giants quarterback, carried out a lighthearted prank during the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis. Manning dressed as a FedEx delivery driver and posed as a tournament volunteer, surprising several top PGA Tour players. His disguise, complete with a bucket hat, sunglasses, and a volunteer shirt, helped him blend in before he began interacting with the approached golfers while claiming to be a FedEx courier. He told players, 'I'm a FedEx courier, that's my real job. Always deliver, especially against the Patriots.' The statement caught the attention of Keegan Bradley, who initially did not recognize him. Once Bradley realized who it was, he reacted with surprise, saying, 'I didn't know that was you. I was like 'who is this freak over here?' Oh my God.' Manning also targeted Jordan Spieth during his prank. He asked to check Spieth's credential and deliberately mispronounced his name. Confused, Spieth was asked whether he was a golfer or a caddie. Spieth later explained that he only realized it was Manning after noticing his unusual attention to the credential. 'It took a second,' Spieth admitted. 'I knew once he was grabbing onto it, I knew it was something. But then I didn't really look up at all.' Manning responded by complimenting Spieth on how he handled the situation, saying he did better than expected. Also Read: Wisconsin Flash Flooding: Road closures, power outages, Milwaukee airport runway shutdowns, events cancellation, sewer overflows. Here's details, areas to avoid Earlier in the video, Manning was shown interacting with world number one golfer Scottie Scheffler. Manning practiced shushing the crowd while Scheffler was hitting shots on the practice range. He joked that it was also his practice range and commented after a poor shot, 'Ah, can't handle it. Lost some focus.' Scheffler later admitted that he did not immediately recognize Manning. 'When he had his head down, I was like 'obviously this is a bit. I just haven't figured out what it is.' But I love that you're standing here shushing people away. It's pretty sick,' Scheffler Read: NYC Dominican Day Parade 2025: Date, start time, route map, notable attendees, street closures, safety measures and weather forecast The prank successfully caught multiple players off guard and created an entertaining moment during the championship. Manning's role as a disguised volunteer showed his playful personality while connecting with professional golfers in a casual setting. The lighthearted exchange was captured on video, adding to the atmosphere of the tournament. What was Eli Manning's role during the FedEx St. Jude Championship prank? Eli Manning disguised himself as a FedEx delivery driver and pretended to be a tournament volunteer, interacting with PGA Tour golfers without revealing his identity immediately. Which golfers were pranked by Eli Manning at the tournament? Manning pranked Keegan Bradley, Jordan Spieth, and Scottie Scheffler, engaging them in playful conversations before they realized who he was.
NDTV
5 hours ago
- NDTV
ISRO To Launch 6,500 Kg Communication Satellite Built By US
Chennai: After marking a humble beginning in the Indian space programme with a tiny rocket supplied by the United States, ISRO would launch a 6,500 kg communication satellite built by the US in the next couple of months, the chairman of the space agency, V Narayanan said on Sunday. Following the historic launch of NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission onboard a GSLV-F16 rocket on July 30, ISRO would be launching another satellite for the United States, he said at an event near Chennai. Narayanan, who is also the secretary of Department of Space, was presented with the honorary degree of Doctor of Science, by the Governor of Maharashtra C P Radhakrishnan, during the 21st Convocation of SRM Institute of Science and Technology at Kattankulathur near Chennai. In his acceptance speech, Narayanan recalled that the ISRO was set up in 1963 and the country was 6-7 years behind advanced countries then. In the same year, a tiny rocket was donated by the United States marking the beginnings of the Indian Space Programme. "It was on November 21, 1963," he said. In 1975, through satellite data given by the US, ISRO demonstrated 'mass communication' by keeping 2,400 television sets across 2,400 villages of 6 Indian states, he said. "From that (kind of humble beginnings), the 30th of July was a historical day for the Indian space programme. We have launched the NISAR satellite. The costliest satellite ever built in the world. The L Band SAR payload from the USA and S Band payload provided by ISRO. The satellite was placed in orbit precisely by Indian launcher (GSLV). And today, we are shoulder to shoulder with advanced countries," Narayanan remarked. He noted that the team from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) lauded their counterparts in ISRO for the precision launch of the GSLV-F16/NISAR Mission. "In another couple of months, a country which received a tiny rocket from the United States, is going to launch a 6,500 kg communication satellite built by America using our own launcher from Indian soil. What a significant growth it is," he noted. From a country which did not possess satellite technology 50 years back, ISRO has, to date, launched 433 satellites of 34 countries using its own launch vehicles, he said. Elucidating about the Indian space programme, he said, "Today, there are 55 applications where ISRO has been contributing for the welfare of the country. "It includes television broadcasting, telecommunication, weather forecasting, disaster warning and mitigation, navigation, ensuring food and water security.", he said. "Even during Operation Sindoor, we have ensured through our satellites, the safety and security of whatever possible of all the citizens of Bharat, we could contribute, we contributed," he remarked. Listing out some of the significant missions, he said with the Chandrayaan-1 mission, ISRO was able to identify water molecule on the surface of the moon, and through Chandrayaan-3 till date, no country has made soft landing on the south pole of the Moon. Referring to Russia's rocket mission of placing 34 satellites into orbit using a single launch vehicle, he said India broke that record by placing 104 satellites into the intended orbit using a single rocket. In 2017, ISRO scripted history by successfully launching 104 satellites, including India's weather observation Cartosat-2 Series, in a single mission onboard PSLV-C37 rocket. On the future launch missions planned by the Bengaluru-headquartered space agency, Narayanan said, currently there are 56 satellites orbiting the earth, serving the purpose of ISRO. The number of satellites would be increased '3xtimes' over the next 2-3 years. "We are going to have our own Gaganyaan programme (sending humans to space) and ISRO is also going to build its own space station by 2035. The Indian Space programme is really one of the outstanding programmes and by 2040 we will match all developed countries in terms of capability of all space programmes," he said. In his brief address, Radhakrishnan said, "Sincerity, hard work and patience are the true keys to success." "Challenges come to all, but it is overcoming them with determination that shapes your future," he said. Urging them to embrace lifelong learning, and to remain humble, he said, "With this spirit, the youth will lead India to become the world's foremost economic power by 2047." Ministry of Earth Sciences, Secretary, M Ravichandran was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Science along with Narayanan. On the occasion, a total of 9,769 students -- 7,586 men and 2,183 women received their degrees. Additionally, 157 students who secured top ranks were honoured.
