Instruments used to observe Venus found two-thirds of the planet's southern hemisphere brightened after aerosols were triggered on an 'astronomical' scale.
The European Space Agency launched the Venus Express, the first European spacecraft to reach Venus.
A conjunction of Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and the Moon occurred.
Pioneer Venus Orbiter, or Pioneer 12, sent its last transmission as it fell from its orbit around Venus.
After a 15-month-long journey from earth, NASA's Magellan went into orbit around Venus and began to map the planet.
NASA's Atlantis Space Shuttle ferried the Magellan space probe into orbit.
Russian spacecraft Vega 2 landed on Venus.
Soviet Space Program's Vega 1, which was launched on December 15, 1984, released a space probe to enter Venus.
After a four-month journey, the Venera 14 spacecraft landed on Venus.
The first images from the surface of Venus were received after the Soviet spacecraft Venera 9 landed on the planet.
Venera 7 launched by the Soviet Union.
The Soviet Probe Venera 4 entered Venus' atmosphere and sent back information to Earth for about 90 minutes before it lost contact.
The Mariner 2 space probe completed the first-ever flyby of Venus.
NASA Launches Mariner 2.
Astronomers Jeremiah Horrocks and William Crabtree recorded the first known observation of a transit of Venus across the sun.
