1802    Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers discovers 2 Pallas, the second asteroid known to man.

1804    Juno, one of the largest main belt asteroids, is discovered by German astronomer Karl Ludwig Harding.

1851    Annibale de Gasparis discovers asteroid 15 Eunomia.

1990    Asteroid Eureka is discovered.

1991    The American Galileo spacecraft makes its closest approach to 951 Gaspra, becoming the first probe to visit an asteroid.

1998    Launch of Deep Space 1 comet/asteroid mission

2001    NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft touchdown in the "saddle" region of 433 Eros becoming the first spacecraft to land on an asteroid.

2004    The asteroid 4179 Toutatis passes within four lunar distances of Earth.