Space Shuttle Atlantis

Historical eventSeptember 161996

Space Shuttle Atlantis

Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched on STS-79 to dock with the Russian space station Mir.

30th anniversary in 2026

Everything on September 16Original source

In context

When
Monday, September 16 199630 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1990s
Anniversary
30th in 2026
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1996.

Place: Brevard County, United States.

Type: Space Shuttle orbiter and exhibit.

What came before

Part of: Space Shuttle program, space mission, and Atlantis Building.

What happened

Space Shuttle Atlantis is a retired Space Shuttle orbiter vehicle which belongs to NASA, the spaceflight and space exploration agency of the United States. Atlantis was manufactured by the Rockwell International company in Southern California and was delivered to the Kennedy Space Center in Eastern Florida in April 1985. Atlantis is the fourth operational and the second-to-last Space Shuttle built. Its maiden flight was STS-51-J made from October 3 to 7, 1985. It was, along with Challenger,

September 16 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1996Space Shuttle Atlantis
  2. 2005Camorra
  3. 2007Nisour Square massacre
  4. 2007One-Two-Go Airlines Flight 269
  5. 2013Washington Navy Yard shooting
  6. 2014Siege of Kobanî
  7. 20152015 Illapel earthquake
  8. 20212021 Luxian earthquake
  9. 2021Inspiration4
  10. 2022Let Yet Kone massacre
  11. 2022Death of Mahsa Amini

Also in 1996

  • May 11ValuJet Flight 592After the aircraft's departure from Miami, a fire started by improperly handled chemical oxygen generators in the cargo hold of Atlanta-b…
  • September 5Hurricane FranHurricane Fran makes landfall near Cape Fear, North Carolina as a Category 3 storm with 115 mph sustained winds. Fran caused over $3 bill…
  • June 14ForeclosureAfter an 81-day standoff sparked by their refusal to be evicted from their foreclosed property in Jordan, Montana, the Christian Patriot…
  • August 14Killing of Solomos SolomouGreek Cypriot refugee Solomos Solomou is shot and killed by a Turkish security officer while trying to climb a flagpole in order to remov…
  • July 5Dolly (sheep)Dolly the sheep becomes the first mammal cloned from an adult cell.
  • November 5President of PakistanPakistani President Farooq Leghari dismisses the government of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and dissolves the National Assembly.
  • November 5Bill ClintonBill Clinton is reelected President of the United States.
  • November 21Humberto Vidal explosionHumberto Vidal explosion: Thirty-three people die when a Humberto Vidal shoe shop in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico explodes.

Everything we record for 1996 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Space Shuttle Atlantis”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/space-shuttle-atlantis-1996-september-16, accessed October 25, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Space Shuttle Atlantis happen?

September 16 1996 — 30 years ago, on a Monday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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