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The Soviet Union launched Sputnik II carrying a dog, Laika into orbit. Unfortunately, they had no way of bringing the dog back.
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The first of a series of launches, the Explorer was the first American satellite put into orbit. The Explorer was also the first to record the Van Allen Radiation Belts.
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The United States' second official Space agency is formed. NASA would become responsible for several flights to the moon, and several other historic events.
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The USSR launches the Luna 1, the first man-made object to orbit the sun.
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Yuri Gagarin, a Russian, became the first man to ever enter Space. He orbited Earth for a little more than an hour, and was promoted to Major during his flight.
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Alan B. Shepard becomes the first American in Space.
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President Kennedy delivers one of his more famous speeches, and challenges the nation to achieve moon landing by the end of the decade.
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Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman, Russian, in Space.
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Aleksei Leonov, Russian, performed the first "space walk". He was outside of the capsule for 12 minutes, and then had an oxygen problem with his suit. He was able to release some oxygen and just barely make it back inside his capsule.
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Manned by Gus Grissom and John Young the first of the Gemini projects is launched into Space.
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Ed White performs America's first spacewalk.
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The Gemini 6, manned by Walter Schirra and Thomas Stafford, manages to successfully rendevous with spacecraft Gemini 7.
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The Soviet's Luna Ten becomes the first satellite to orbit the Moon.
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Manned by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldren, Apollo 11 was the United States' most successful flight ever. Both astronauts managed to actually walk on the moon, and make it home safely.
