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<mark class="bsearch_highlight">Jack</mark> <mark class="bsearch_highlight">Parsons</mark> at the trial of LAPD’s Earl Kynette Seventy years ago Friday, on June 17, 1952, <mark class="bsearch_highlight">Jack</mark> <mark class="bsearch_highlight">Parsons</mark>—rocketry pioneer, self-proclaimed Antichrist, disciple of Aleister Crowley and explosives expert, whose work helped lead to the founding o... More »
Seventy years ago, on June 17, 1952, <mark class="bsearch_highlight">Jack</mark> <mark class="bsearch_highlight">Parsons</mark>—rocketry pioneer, self-proclaimed Antichrist, disciple of Aleister Crowley and explosives expert, whose work helped lead to the founding of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)—died in a mysterious, city-shaking explosion in his home lab in a converted coach house behind a... More »
Seventy years ago, on June 17, 1952, <mark class="bsearch_highlight">Jack</mark> <mark class="bsearch_highlight">Parsons</mark>—rocketry pioneer, self-proclaimed Antichrist, disciple of Aleister Crowley and explosives expert, whose work helped lead to the founding of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)—died in a mysterious, city-shaking explosion in his home lab in a converted coach house behind a... More »
August was the 81st anniversary of rocket tests in the Arroyo Seco that led to the establishment of JPL, changed the course of World War II and created a whole new scientific field: rocket science. The man who led that effort, Frank Malina—who was born last month in 1912 and died this month in 1981—was posthumously awarded a Medal for Merit by the president of the Czech Republic on Oct. 28. PART I... More »
The life and career of JPL co-founder Dr. Frank Malina were upended in the 1940s and 50s as the FBI investigated him for ties to communism, which unfairly diminished his achievements. The Medal for Merit he received from the Czech Republic president in October and a new 12-part podcast from LAist Studios about early JPL history are perhaps indications that the rocketry pioneer is finally getting t... More »
In letters to the City Council expressed opposition to a residence that would rename Dayton Street to Troop Way in honor of a local R&B group. Troop, originally named “Five of A Kind,” was formed in Pasadena in 1984 and had three number one hits. Despite the opposition, local residents said they do not oppose honoring the group, but urged the City Council to preserve Dayton Street. “Our homegrown ... More »
Pasadena Media’s local TV talk show, “Pasadena Monthly with Justin Chapman,” formerly known as the award-winning “NewsRap Local with Justin Chapman,” continues this Friday at 5 p.m. on Pasadena Media’s cable TV channels and streaming apps. The episode will feature a discussion on the history of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory with author and podcast host M. G. Lord. Lord is the host of “Blood, Sweat... More »
Octavia E. Butler Magnet, formerly Washington STEAM Multilingual Academy, is a middle school serving students in grades 6-8. Fondly known by many Pasadena residents as the “school on the hill,” the oft-renamed Octavia E. Butler Magnet, a Pasadena Unified School District middle school, formally celebrated its 100th anniversary on Wednesday with a reunion, tree planting and party at the North Mareng... More »
The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has received a $50 million commitment from Caltech Trustee Lynn Booth and Life Member Kent Kresa, former chair of the Board of Trustees. Made jointly with their family foundations, the gift endows and names the Lynn Booth and Kent Kresa Department of Aerospace, securing the Institute’s continued leadership in the rapidly evolving sectors of space sc... More »
