Apollo 11 mission, Baseball Hall of Fame, Marvel hits Comic-Con: 5 things to know this weekend

Editors
Looking back at Apollo 11, Baseball Hall of Fame introduces its new members and more things to get your weekend started right.

Looking back at Apollo 11, 50 years later

Fifty years ago Saturday, the first humans landed on the moon. NASA’s Apollo 11 mission expanded humanity’s reach beyond the sky. But most agree it would not have happened – at least not until much later – if John F. Kennedy hadn’t pushed to win the space race against the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War. It's not that the United States didn't have what we would need, said author Charles Fishman, "we didn’t even know what we would need.” Read more of our 50th-anniversary moon landing coverage here:

Excessive heat impacts tens of millions of people

A summer heatwave hits most of the eastern and central United States this weekend and temperatures in cities across the East Coast are expected to hit triple digits. For a while on Saturday, it will feel about as hot in Washington, D.C., as it is in Death Valley, California, according to AccuWeather. Lucky timing? Sunday is National Ice Cream Day. Customers nationwide will be treated to a variety of special deals marking the occasion, with brands such as Baskin Robbins, Dairy Queen and even goPuff joining in.

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Britain warns Iran of 'serious consequences' if oil tanker not released

Tensions will remain high Saturday after British officials warned Iran of "serious consequences" if Tehran does not release a British-flagged oil tanker it seized in the strategic Strait of Hormuz waterway. The seizing of the "Stena Impero" potentially marks the most significant escalation in tensions between Iran and the West about a year after the United States pulled out of an international accord aimed at Iran's nuclear program. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the "Stena Impero" was taken to an Iranian port because it was not complying with "international maritime laws and regulations." On Saturday, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported that the "Stena Impero" collided with an Iranian fishing boat, causing it damage, and then failed to respond to calls from the smaller craft.

Baseball honors new Hall of Fame class

The Baseball Hall of Fame will welcome six new members Sunday. Legendary closer Mariano Rivera, the first player inducted unanimously in Hall of Fame history, leads the class of 2019 that also includes Edgar Martinez, Roy Halladay, Mike Mussina, Lee Smith and Harold Baines. The inductions of Rivera and Smith — first and third all-time in saves, respectively — are helping closers get their due in Cooperstown. Mussina and Halladay making the Hall illustrate the evolution of standards for starting pitchers, where the once-hallowed milestone of 300 career wins may not be seen again for years.

Comic-Con: Will Marvel reveal plans to reload its powerful pack of heroes?

Marvel Studios returns Saturday to San Diego Comic-Con, the annual gargantuan festival of pop culture, with one of its most important presentations. Why? As Brian Truitt explains: "While the Marvel Cinematic Universe is still chock-full of stars, the galaxy needs to be reloaded." "Avengers: Endgame" and "Spider-Man: Far From Home" capped off Marvel's Phase 3 films, but — spoiler alert — they left two huge holes in the company's stable of superheroes. Despite reports of upcoming sequels to "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Thor," "Black Panther" and "Doctor Strange" and talk of Angelina Jolie starring in the myth-heavy "The Eternals," Marvel hasn't officially revealed any Phase 4 plans. That's a far cry from 2014 when the studio announced its entire Phase 3 lineup.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Apollo 11 mission, Baseball Hall of Fame: 5 things to know this weekend