November 12

1799 – Andrew Ellicott writes the first-known record of a meteor shower observed in the U.S., now known as the Leonids.
1966 – The first photograph was taken from the atmosphere by the satellite Gemini XII.
1980 – NASA space probe Voyager I makes its closest approach to Saturn, and takes the first images of the planet's rings.
1981 – Space shuttle program "STS-2" marks the first time a manned spacecraft is launched into space twice.
1984 – Astronauts execute the first salvage operation in space, when a Palapa B-2 satellite was retrieved.