According to former Chief Historian Roger Lanius, T. Keith Glennan, the first administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), perhaps did not fully appreciate what he was doing when he established the NASA history program in 1959. Since its inception in 1958, NASA has accomplished great scientific and technological feats in fields of aeronautics and aerospace. NASA technology has been adapted for many uses by the private sector and the agency remains a force in scientific research. Perhaps more importantly, our nation's exploration of space has taught us to view Earth, ourselves, and the universe in a new way. While the tremendous technical and scientific accomplishments of NASA demonstrate vividly that humans can achieve that which was previously thought inconceivable, our realization that Earth is but a tiny "blue marble" in the vastness of the cosmos is humbling. Read "Thinking About NASA History" as an introduction to the History Office's work with scientists and historians.