24 Hours in Cyberspace

February 8, 1996

ON this day, ‘the largest one-day online event’, 24 Hours in Cyberspace, headed by photographer Rick Smolan, took place on the then-active website, cyber24.com (and is still online at a mirror website).

At the time, it was billed as the ‘largest collaborative internet event ever’, involving thousands of photographers, editors, programmers and interactive designers from all over the world, including 150 of the world’s top photojournalists. The goal was not to show pictures of websites and computer monitors, but rather images of people whose lives were affected by the growing use of internet. The website received more than four million hits in the 24 hours that the project was active.

Then US Vice President Al Gore contributed the introductory essay to the Earth Watch section of the website in which he discussed the impact of internet on environment, education and increased communication between people.

Google maps launched

February 8, 2005

THIS day, Google Maps was launched to the public. Google Maps is a desktop and mobile web mapping service application and technology provided by Google, offering satellite imagery, street maps and Street View perspectives, as well as functions such as a route planner for travelling by foot, car, bicycle (beta test), or with public transportation. Google Maps satellite images are not updated in real time, however, Google adds data to their Primary Database on a regular basis.

Japan launched Osumi

February 11, 1970

ON this day, Japan launched their first satellite into space and became the fourth nation to put a satellite in orbit.

It was launched from Kagoshima Space Centre on Kyushu, Japan, and was named after the peninsula on which the centre is located. Osumi was equipped with several sounding devices and weighed 40 pounds (18kg). Its purpose was to practice using a rocket to put a satellite into orbit. Osumi was destroyed upon re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere in 2003.