◆ On this day

July 11

4 sourced moments from July 11 in history: Big Ben's Great Bell Rang for the First Time (1859); The first cultured pearl was harvested off Japan (1893); Skylab fell on Australia in 1979, nearly four years early, plus 1 more.

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4 things happened on July 11

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2013 Space · Stars & Galaxies

HD 189733b, the blue planet where it rains glass sideways

Hubble found that HD 189733b is deep azure, the first exoplanet colour ever measured. Its blue sky may hold sideways-blown grains of glass.

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1979 Space · Space Exploration

Skylab fell on Australia in 1979, nearly four years early

NASA expected Skylab to last until 1983, but a fierce solar cycle dragged it down over Western Australia in July 1979.

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1893 Nature & Animals · Marine Life

The first cultured pearl was harvested off Japan

After years of failures and near-ruin, a Japanese noodle-shop owner coaxed an oyster into making a gem and launched a whole industry.

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1859 Geography · Landmarks & Wonders

Big Ben's Great Bell Rang for the First Time

London's most famous bell finally struck the hour in 1859, only to crack itself silent within weeks.

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