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First satellite in space by USSR

Oct 4, 1957

The Soviet Union launches the world's first artificial satellite, Sputnik, which is the rRussian word for "fellow traveler."

First animal was put in space by USSR

Nov 3, 1957

Laika the dog was the first animal to make an orbital spaceflight around the Earth aboard Sputnik 2 created by the Soviets

First satellite in space by USA

Jan 31, 1958

Explorer 1 became the first successfully launched satellite by the United States thanks to the combined efforts of Army Ballistic Missile Agency, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the University of Iowa.

Creation of NASA

Jul 29, 1958

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was founded by Dwight D. Eisenhower as an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the civilian space program and aeronautics and space research.

First animal in space by USA

Jan 31, 1961

Ham the Chimp flew a suborbital flight on the Mercury-Redstone 2 mission, part of the U.S. space program's Project Mercury.

First man in space by USA

Feb 5, 1961

Alan Shepard was the first American in space, and the fifth astronaut to walk on the moon as part of the Apollo 14 lunar landing mission.

First man in space by USSR

Apr 12, 1961

Gagarin was launched into orbit by a Vostok rocket and brought him safely back to earth after completing one orbit by the spacecraft's automatic controls, making him the first man in space.

JFK's speech

May 25, 1961

President John F. Kennedy announced before a special joint session of Congress goal of sending an American safely to the Moon before the end of the decade

First man to orbit Earth by USA

Feb 20, 1962

John Glenn spent 4h 55m 23s in space, orbiting earth on NASA's Mercury-Atlas 6 mission.

Gemini 2 mission

Jan 19, 1965

This mission was a Test flight that lasted 18m,16s with a range of 3,422.4 kilometers.

First man to do an EVA by USSR

Mar 18, 1965

Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov spent 12 minutes and 9 seconds outside the Voskhod 2 spacecraft, performing the first ever EVA.

Gemini 3 mission

Mar 23, 1965

this mission was the first crewed mission in NASA's Gemini program, as well as the first time two American astronauts flew together into space.

First man to do an EVA by USA

Jun 3, 1965

Ed White became the first American to conduct a spacewalk during the Gemini 4 mission.

Gemini 6 mission

Dec 15, 1965

The mission was flown by Wally Schirra and Thomas P. Stafford, and they achieved the first crewed rendezvous with another spacecraft, its sister Gemini 7.

NASA -38 crash

Feb 28, 1966

The crash occurred when a NASA Northrop T-38 Talon crashed at Lambert Field in St. Louis, Missouri, killing two Project Gemini astronauts, Elliot See and Charles Bassett.

Apollo 1 fire

Jan 27, 1967

The Apollo 1 mission never flew due to a cabin fire during a launch rehearsal test at Cape Kennedy Air Force Station Launch Complex 34 that killed the three crew members.

Launch of Apollo 7

Oct 11, 1968

Apollo 7 was the first manned test of the Command and Service Module, in which the crew orbited the Earth 163 times and spent 10 days and 20 hours in space.

Apollo 8 mission

Dec 21, 1968

This crew orbited without landing, and then departed safely back to Earth, making them the first crewed spacecraft to leave low Earth orbit, and also the first human spaceflight to reach another astronomical object.

Apollo 9 mission

Mar 3, 1969

This mission was the first flight of the full Apollo spacecraft: the command and service module with the Lunar Module.

Apollo 10 mission

May 18, 1969

This was considered the F mission: a "dress rehearsal" for the first Moon landing to test all the components and procedures just short of actually landing.

Apollo 11 mission

Jul 16, 1969

This was the spaceflight that first landed humans on the moon with Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin.