The New York Horticultural Society was founded.
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The super-bright comet 'Hale-Bopp' reached its closest point to Earth at a distance of 1.215 AU, making it visible to the naked eye.
America built the first rocket to reach an altitude of 50 miles (80 km).
NASA's Columbia Space Shuttle was successfully launched from the Kennedy Space Center.
Four people died, and at least twenty were injured in a terrorist attack near the Houses of Parliament in London.
The St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line became the world's first scheduled flight.
