Daily post that discusses fun, interesting, historic and important events from today's date. Maybe you need a topic of conversation between family, friends or coworkers. Perhaps you need something to celebrate or remember. If anything, you can learn a thing or two, which is never a bad thing! Give me an upvote and/or follow to show you enjoyed this and I'll make sure to keep up with this.

<h1>What happened on May 19th?</h1>

![maybase.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmZnD4NWNgoKc4qaffZ1Esgm9famNQobyfuvhkSKoRBZdL/maybase.jpg)

<h3>Centigrade temperature scale is developed (1743)</h3>

![degreescelsiusc.gif](https://steemitimages.com/DQmZTXiKMJDLfhMRBZ1j1AbCRrUnnx8DCPKipqpzaBMCL2c/degreescelsiusc.gif)

The centigrade temperature scale, known today as the Celsius temperature scale, is determined to have had its birth on this date in 1743.  It is the day when Jean-Pierre Christin published the design on the Mercury thermometer, called the "Thermometer of Lyon," the same design as most modern mercury thermometers today.  This, and the means of measuring the temperatures based on 0 degrees Celsius being water freezing and 100 degrees Celsius being water boiling, solidified the Celsius temperature model.

Before this publication, others actually developed models that were very close.  Anders Celsius, for whom the scale is named, actually developed the system, but he had 100 degrees Celsius being the temperature at which water freezes, and vice versa.  Christin, in 1743, proposed the model where the numbers are swapped (and used today), so he cannot receive all of the credit.

Today, the Celsius scale is the SI Unit used globally, with the exception of the United States, Myanmar and Liberia.

<h3>Malcolm X is born (1925)</h3>

![malcolm.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmUBypZMeCho24E83V3EfeKUYXMcFqcJquHvMsPGXZrfXm/malcolm.jpg)

Malcolm X was an African-American Muslim minister and human rights activist.  Being an advocate for the rights of blacks and indicting white America for its harsh treatment and crimes against black Americans, he is considered to be one of the most influential African Americans in history.

His father was killed when he was six and his mother was placed in a mental institution at thirteen, so Malcolm jumped around foster homes.  At twenty he went to prison, where he would become a member of the Nation of Islam (NOI).  After his parole for larceny and breaking and entering, he changed his birth name Malcolm Little to Malcolm X, saying that Little was the name "the white slavemaster..." had given him.

Eventually, he would break ties and disagree with what the NOI was mandating, so instead he embraced Sunni Islam and traveled, emphasizing his ideas of black self-determination and self-defense.  On February 21, 1965, he was assassinated by three members of the NOI.

<h3>Soviet Union launches the Mars 2 (1971)</h3>

![mars2.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmfDnqzratfKasWT3FjkY18sM6nWHUwPsVLE98vRRcLC7V/mars2.jpg)

The Soviet Union launched the Mars 2 on this date in 1971.  It was an unmanned space probe of their Mars Program, a program designed to fly by, probe and explore Mars.  It was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, a Russian spaceport.

The primary objectives of this orbiter were to image the Martian surface, clouds, topography, composition and physical properties of the surface.  It also included a rover, which would obviously allow for actual exploration of the surface.

Although the Mars 2 was able to relay data back to the Soviet Union, the descent modules malfunctioned, and Mars 2 was sent crashing to the surface of the planet.  As a result of this, the rover was unable to be used.  Mars 2 was the first man-made object to crash onto a Martian surface.

<h3>Thanks for reading!</h3>

Hopefully you learned a thing or two.  See you tomorrow!