1994 in science

The year 1994 in science and technology consisted of many events, including those below.

See also: 1993 in science, other events of 1994, 1995 in science, and the list of years in science.

Astronomy and space exploration

• July 16-July 22 - The fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 impact the planet Jupiter
• October 12 - NASA loses contact with the Magellan spacecraft after a successful mission. The probe crashed into Venus shortly after.

Archaeology

• March 31 - The journal Nature reports the finding in Ethiopia of the first complete Australopithecus afarensis skull (see Human evolution).

Physics

• April 23 - Physicists at Fermilab observe the top quark.

Technology

• May 6 - The Channel Tunnel, which took 15,000 workers over seven years to complete, opens between England and France. Travelers can now travel between the two countries in 35 minutes.

Awards

• Nobel Prizes
  • Physics - Bertram N. Brockhouse, Clifford G. Shull
  • Chemistry - George A. Olah
  • Medicine - Alfred G. Gilman, Martin Rodbell
• Turing Award - Edward Feigenbaum, Raj Reddy
• Wollaston Medal for Geology - William Jason Morgan