This Day, That Year

Item from April 7, 1984, in China Daily: Dan Dan, the third surviving giant panda born by artificial insemination at the Beijing Zoo, has made her debut, doing tricks to the amusement of the spectators.

Born on Sept 14, 1981, Dan Dan, now with sharply defined black and white fur patterns, yesterday climbed atop a jungle gym. ... Dan Dan's mother is Juan Juan, who is also the mother of the world's first baby panda by artificial insemination.

Authorities began to try artificial fertilization procedures on giant pandas in the 1960s. The panda population has since recorded steady increase.