March 20 in Universe History: Space Missions, Astronomy and Exploration

March 20 has produced notable milestones in space exploration, astronomy, launch operations, communications infrastructure, and deep-space engineering. Below is a curated chronological selection of universe-related events connected to this date.

1916

On March 20, 1916, Albert Einstein submitted his review Die Grundlage der allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie to Annalen der Physik; later printed that year, it consolidated general relativity’s field-equation framework and became a cornerstone for modern gravitational physics and astronomy, supporting predictions such as light deflection, perihelion precession, and gravitational waves.

1964

On March 20, 1964, the convention establishing the European Space Research Organisation (ESRO) entered into force, creating a joint European framework to pool resources for space science. ESRO’s programs, tracking and data facilities, and cooperative governance later fed into the 1975 merger that formed the European Space Agency for broader civil-space activities.

1982

On March 20, 1982, astronauts Jack R. Lousma and C. Gordon Fullerton arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to prepare for STS-3 through mission reviews and Shuttle Training Aircraft landings. Their arrival came mid-countdown and set up a March 22 launch of Columbia, enabling continued thermal characterization and early Remote Manipulator System operations in flight.