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Sputnik is launched by the Soviets.
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The first animal in space, also being Russian, was a dog named Laika. She was launched on Sputnik 2.
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NASA is founded.
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The Mercury 7 astronauts are selected by NASA to fly in the Mercury program.
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The first succesful weather satellite is launched. It was called Tiros 1.
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Yuri Gagarin becomes the firs t man and the first Russian in space.
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Alan Shepard is launched into space. Sub-orbital flight. He was the first American in space. His flight lasted about 15 minutes. He was aboard a Redstone rocket.
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Gus Grissom, the second American in space, almost drowns when he lands in the ocean.
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The first woman is sent to space. She was Russian and her name as Valentina Tereshkova.
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The first space walk was done by a Russian man named Alexei Leonov. His walk lasted 12 minutes.
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Luna 10 becomes the first satellite to ever orbit the moon,
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The Lunar Orbiter 1 takes the first picture of the moon.
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Apollo 1 fire occurs. Delays spaceflight. 3 men are killed: Robert Chaffee, Gus Grissom, and Ed White.
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Known as the "Successful Failure," and NASA's finest hour. The crew consisted of three men: Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert (originally Kent Mattingly,) and Fred Haise, There was an explosion and they did not land on the moon. They returned home upon the Lunar Module.
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The first man on the moon was American and his name was Neil Armstrong.
