On this day in 1997, NASA's Mars Global Surveyor reached Mars. In 1996, Union Pacific Railroad purchased Southern Pacific Railroad. In 1972, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) in San Francisco, California begans regular service. In 1970, the Ford Pinto was introduced. In 1941, ground was broken for construction of The Pentagon. In 1940, George Stibitz pioneered the first remote operation of a computer. In 1915, the Pennsylvania Railroad began electrified commuter rail service between Paoli and Philadelphia. And in 1609, Henry Hudson landed on Manhattan island. Happy Birthday Harry Connick, Jr. (1967), Moby (1965), Brad Bird (1957), Brian de Palma (1940), Herbert Lom (1917), Paul "Bear" Bryant (1913) and Carl Zeiss (1816). RIP John Ritter (d. 2003), Jessica Tandy (1994), Peter Tosh and Lorne Greene (1987). "To err is human--and to blame it on a computer is even more so." - Robert Orben