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On April 24, 1990, NASA made history with the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery, mission STS-31, carrying the Hubble Space Telescope. This ambitious project, which was twenty years in the making and cost over $1.5 billion, changed our understanding of the universe by deploying a high-precision observatory 340 miles above the Earth's atmosphere. Beyond space exploration, this date marks the birthdays of several entertainment titans, including the multi-talented EGOT winner Barbra Streisand, acclaimed actor Djimon Hounsou, and pop sensation Kelly Clarkson. The episode also touches on the origins of cultural icons and a lighthearted culinary tradition in the United States. Join Noah Feldman and Maya Kim as they explore the technical hurdles of the Hubble mission, the career trajectories of today's birthday legends, and the simple joy of Pigs-in-a-Blanket Day.
On April 24, 1990, the Space Shuttle Discovery roared into orbit from the Kennedy Space Center, carrying a cargo that would forever alter our perspective on the cosmos: the Hubble Space Telescope. Designed to orbit 340 miles above the Earth and travel at a staggering 17,000 miles per hour, Hubble was the result of two decades of planning and a $1.55 billion investment. In addition to this astronomical milestone, today celebrates the birthdays of legendary figures across music and film. We look at the life and career of Barbra Streisand, the only artist to achieve a competitive EGOT and sell over 150 million records, alongside the pioneering career of Djimon Hounsou and the modern pop legacy of Kelly Clarkson. Finally, we wrap up with a look at a uniquely American food holiday that celebrates the classic snack of sausages wrapped in pastry.
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[00:00] Announcer: From Neural Newscast, this is Deep Dive, exploring the moments that shape today.
[00:10] Noah Feldman: Welcome to Deep Dive. I am Noah Feldman.
[00:19] Maya Kim: And I'm Maya Kim. Today we're looking back at a day that truly expanded our horizons,
[00:24] Maya Kim: from the furthest reaches of the galaxy to the icons of our stage and screen.
[00:30] Noah Feldman: It is April 24th, and our main story takes us to 1990,
[00:35] Noah Feldman: specifically to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida,
[00:38] Noah Feldman: where five astronauts were preparing for a mission that had been 20 years in the making.
[00:44] Maya Kim: The Space Shuttle Discovery, Mission STS-31, lifted off at 8.34 in the morning.
[00:51] Maya Kim: On board were Lauren Shriver, Charles Bolden, Bruce McCandless, Catherine Sullivan, and Stephen Hawley.
[00:58] Maya Kim: But the real star of the show was the cargo they were carrying, the Hubble Space Telescope.
[01:05] Noah Feldman: It is hard to overstate the ambition of this project.
[01:09] Noah Feldman: Hubble was designed to capture images from 340 miles above the Earth, moving at 17,000 miles per hour.
[01:18] Noah Feldman: By getting above the atmosphere, it could see the universe without the blur that ground-based
[01:24] Noah Feldman: telescopes have to deal with.
[01:26] Maya Kim: And the investment reflected that ambition.
[01:29] Maya Kim: NASA spent over $1.5 billion on it.
[01:33] Maya Kim: It was the first of their great observatories.
[01:36] Maya Kim: While it was originally expected to last maybe 15 years, it has actually been operating
[01:41] Maya Kim: for over 30, providing more than a million observations.
[01:46] Noah Feldman: Maya, what strikes me from a workforce perspective is the sheer number of skills required to keep something like that running.
[01:54] Noah Feldman: It was not just the launch.
[01:56] Noah Feldman: It was decades of maintenance and data analysis by thousands of scientists and engineers.
[02:02] Noah Feldman: It really shows the power of specialized training and persistence.
[02:06] Maya Kim: For those of us in science communication, Hubble changed everything.
[02:11] Maya Kim: It turned abstract data into these stunning, high-definition images that built immense public trust and curiosity in space science.
[02:20] Noah Feldman: It is definitely a testament to human ingenuity.
[02:24] Noah Feldman: But while we are looking at the stars in the sky, we should also talk about some of the stars right here on Earth who share this birthday.
[02:31] Maya Kim: We have quite a lineup today. Let's start with a true legend who was born in 1942, Barbara Strysand.
[02:40] Noah Feldman: Strysand is in a league of her own. She is the only artist to have won competitive Oscars,
[02:46] Noah Feldman: Emmys, Grammys, and a Tony. That egot status is the gold standard for versatility in the entertainment industry.
[02:54] Maya Kim: And she has sold over 150 million records.
[02:59] Maya Kim: From her early days in Broadway and films like Funny Girl to her work as a director and producer,
[03:05] Maya Kim: she really redefined what a female artist could achieve in Hollywood and music.
[03:10] Noah Feldman: Moving to 1964, we celebrate Jiman Han Su.
[03:14] Noah Feldman: He has such a fascinating career path, Maya.
[03:17] Noah Feldman: He actually started as a model in Paris,
[03:19] Noah Feldman: becoming the first African-American male model
[03:22] Noah Feldman: for a major Calvin Klein fragrance campaign.
[03:25] Maya Kim: I remember his transition into acting was so powerful.
[03:29] Maya Kim: He brought such a physical presence and emotional depth to films like Gladiator and In America.
[03:35] Maya Kim: He's been a consistent force in the industry for decades,
[03:38] Maya Kim: including recent roles in major franchises like Shazam.
[03:41] Noah Feldman: And finally, we have a name that everyone knows from the very first season of American Idol.
[03:47] Noah Feldman: Kelly Clarkson was born on this day in 1982.
[03:50] Maya Kim: Kelly is such a great example of someone who took a massive opportunity and turned it
[03:56] Maya Kim: into a lasting, multifaceted career.
[04:00] Maya Kim: Winning.
[04:00] Maya Kim: Winning that inaugural season in 2002 was just the beginning.
[04:04] Maya Kim: She has sold 25 million albums and transitioned so successfully into being a beloved television
[04:11] Maya Kim: host.
[04:12] Noah Feldman: It is interesting to see how she's navigated the changing labor market of the music industry.
[04:18] Noah Feldman: She moved from being a talent show winner to a songwriter and then a media personality.
[04:23] Noah Feldman: It's a masterclass in career adaptability.
[04:27] Maya Kim: She certainly has that warmth that makes people trust her.
[04:30] Maya Kim: It is a rare quality to maintain that level of success for over 20 years in such a competitive field.
[04:37] Noah Feldman: While these stars are certainly legendary, we have one more tradition to cover today
[04:43] Noah Feldman: that is a bit more flavorful.
[04:45] Maya Kim: Ah, yes.
[04:47] Maya Kim: April 24th is also National Pigs and a Blanket Day here in the United States.
[04:51] SPEAKER_03: It is a staple of parties and gatherings, small sausages or hot dogs wrapped in pastry, or sometimes bacon.
[05:01] SPEAKER_03: It's one of those simple culinary pleasures that seems to have a permanent place in our food culture.
[05:07] Maya Kim: Noah, from a public health standpoint, we usually talk about balance.
[05:12] Maya Kim: But there is something to be said for the social and comforting role of food like this.
[05:17] Maya Kim: It's part of the fabric of community celebrations.
[05:20] SPEAKER_03: Absolutely. It's a day for the big milestones like Hubble, the massive careers of Strysand and Clarkson,
[05:29] SPEAKER_03: and the simple comfort of a favorite snack.
[05:31] Maya Kim: It's been a journey from the stars to the kitchen. Thank you for joining us for this look at April 24th.
[05:37] Maya Kim: I'm Maya Kim.
[05:39] SPEAKER_03: And I am Noah Feldman. Visit deepdive.neuralnewscast.com for more.
[05:45] SPEAKER_03: Deep Dive is AI-assisted, human-reviewed.
[05:49] SPEAKER_03: Explore history every day on NeuralNewscast.com.
[05:53] Announcer: This has been Deep Dive on Neural Newscast.
[05:56] Announcer: Exploring the moments that shape today.