1962: Connecting Continents

In July 1962, the Telstar satellite relayed the first live television signals across the Atlantic Ocean, letting audiences in the United States and Europe share images and broadcasts in real time for the very first time.

Earlier that year, astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth, adding another milestone to a year already defined by ambitious exploration above the clouds.

Culture flourished alongside science: a young band from Liverpool called the Beatles released their first single, Love Me Do, the film Lawrence of Arabia captivated moviegoers, and Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring sparked growing public interest in protecting the natural world.

Looking back, 1962 showed how quickly the world was shrinking in the best possible way, as satellites, spacecraft, and new voices in music and literature drew people closer together.