When was the first deep-sea drilling program launched?

The Deep Sea Drilling Project launched in 1968 and revolutionized the study of the ocean floor. Using the drilling ship Glomar Challenger, scientists retrieved sediment and rock cores from beneath the seafloor. The samples showed the age progression predicted by plate tectonics and confirmed that oceanic crust gets older away from mid-ocean ridges. The project became one of the most important marine geology programs of the 20th century.