On this day in 1868 - June 29th - George Ellery Hale, American solar astronomer, was born.

Hale was a key figure in the realization of three major telescopes, the 40-inch refractor at Yerkes Observatory, 60-inch Hale and 100-inch Hooker reflectors at Mount Wilson Observatory, and the 200-inch Hale reflector at Palomar Observatory