Today In History: Dogs in Space!

August 19. On this day in 1909, the first race was held on a dirt track in Indiana, which later became the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In 1950, ABC Television launched its Saturday morning kids' programming with “Animal Clinic” and “Acrobat Ranch.” A decade later, in 1960, the Soviet Union successfully launched two dogs into orbit—marking the first time animals returned alive from space. Fast forward to 2008, Lady Gaga released her debut album The Fame, which later won multiple Grammys. In 2019, NASA confirmed a mission to Europa, Jupiter’s icy moon, in search of alien life. A year later, in 2020, Kamala Harris made history as the first woman of color to accept a major-party nomination for Vice President. Each of these moments left a lasting mark—from space and science to music and politics. Whether orbiting Earth or rocking the charts, August 19th has seen its share of firsts. And that’s today’s Almanac, on Northwest Newsradio.