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For centuries to come, rockets competed with cannons as the
weapon of choice for war. Each technological development
moved one or the other system into or out of favor. Cannons were
more accurate. Rockets could be fired more quickly. -
In the 1920s and 1930s, leading up to World War II, amateur
rocketeers and scientists worldwide attempted to use rockets on
airplanes, racing cars, boats, bicycles with wings, throw lines for
rescuing sailors from sinking ships, mail delivery vehicles for offshore
islands, and anything else they could dream up. -
The necessities of war led to massive technological improvements
in aeronautics and rocketry. Almost overnight, rockets graduated
from novelties and dream flying machines to sophisticated
weapons of destruction -
At the conclusion of World War II, the United States and the Soviet
Union engaged in a race for space. The Soviet Union won the first
round by launching its Sputnik I satellite on October 4, 1957. The
satellite had a spherical design with four antenna. -
The origins of gunpowder are not clear, but the Chinese reportedly
had a rudimentary form of it in the first century, A.D. A mixture of
saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal dust produced colorful sparks and
smoke when ignited. The powder was used to make fireworks. -
At 10:56 p.m. EDT, July 20, 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong
set foot on the Moon. It was the first time in history that humans had
touched another world. He was followed to the surface by Edwin
“Buzz” Aldrin, Jr. A third astronaut, Michael Collins, remained in
lunar orbit in the Apollo capsule.