Space!

Sputnik 1 went into orbit

Oct 4, 1957

Sputnik 1, the first man-made object to orbit the Earth, is launched by the U.S.S.R., and remains in orbit until January 4, 1958.

Sputnik 2 carried Laika for 7 days

Nov 3, 1957

Sputnik 2, carrying the dog Laika for 7 days in orbit, is launched by the U.S.S.R., and remains in orbit until April 13, 1958.

NASA Formed

Jul 29, 1958

NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) was formed.

First man in space

Apr 12, 1961

Vostok 1 is launched by the U.S.S.R., carrying Cosmonaut Yuri A. Gargarin, the first man in space. He orbits the Earth once.

First American Man in space

May 5, 1961

Mercury Freedom 7 carries Alan B. Shepard,Jr., the first U.S. Astronaut into space, in a suborbital flight.

First (Russian) Woman in Space

Jun 16, 1963

Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman in space sent by the Soviets on the Vostok 6 spacecraft.

First American Spacewalk

Jun 3, 1965

Edward White II makes the first U.S. space walk from Gemini 4. Duration is 22 minutes.

First Man on the Moon!

Jul 20, 1969

Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, Jr. make the first manned soft landing on the Moon, and the first moonwalk, using Apollo 11.