Gaye’s “What’s Going On” Released

Why this is here: Susan Lucci received a Daytime Emmy Award in 1999 after being nominated nineteen times, marking the longest stretch of unsuccessful nominations in television history.

Fifty-five years ago today, Marvin Gaye released What’s Going On in the United States, a concept album reflecting the perspective of a Vietnam veteran. Gaye himself produced the album, a departure for Motown Records, and it became the label’s best-selling to date. The title track addressed war and the need for love, while “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)” anticipated environmental concerns following the first Earth Day.

Today also marks several other anniversaries. In 1881, Clara Barton founded The American Red Cross in the US, building on her experience aiding soldiers during the Civil War. Meanwhile, in Germany, pharmacist Friedrich Sertürner isolated morphine from opium in 1805, pioneering the study of alkaloids.

The article notes that while IKAROS, a Japanese solar-sailing spacecraft, successfully demonstrated solar propulsion in 2010, its limited power supply eventually led to periods of hibernation. Further research is needed to refine the technology for sustained deep-space travel.