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US: The US launches the first animal into space
US launches first animals, fruit flies, into space. These were the first animals to ever be intentionally sent into space. However, they never went into orbit, they were only suborbital flights. -
USSR: The USSR launches Sputnik I
Sputnik I was the world's first artificial satellite to be launched. Its purpose was to gather information about the atmosphere. The launch caught the American government off guard -
USSR: The Soviet Union sends first animal into complete orbit
Laika the dog became the first animal to go into orbit on the USSR's Sputnik II. According to the Soviet report, the dog was able to live in a stable condition in space for a week, but then died due tto an overheating in the cabin. -
US: The United States launches Explorer 1
As a result of the USSR previously launching both their own and the world's first satellite, the US had to unleash their very own, Explorer 1. This also became the first satellite to launch that carried science instruments, one being the cosmic ray detector, an instrument to measure radiation in earth orbit -
USSR: Luna 2 lands on the moon
Sent by the Soviet Union, Luna 2 was the first spacecraft to land on the moon. It took the US by surprise due to the fact that they felt as though they were making progress in the space race. -
USSR: Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to orbit the earth
This Soviet cosmonaut helped to push the USSR far ahead in the space race with the US. Not only did he become the first human to orbit earth, but he also became the first human to enter space at all! -
US: Alan Shepard becomes the first American to orbit earth
On this day, Alan Shepard became the first American to orbit earth aboard his capsule which he named Freedom 7. -
USSR: Valentina Tereshkova becomes first woman to enter space
On this day, Valentina Tereshkova, a Soviet cosmonaut became the first woman to enter space aboard the Vostok 6 -
USSR: Soviet cosmonaut makes the first space walk
Alexei Leonov, a Soviet cosmonaut made the first spacewalk outside his capsule, called the Voskhod 2, for 10 minutes. -
US: USA achieves its first space walk
Ed White became the first American to conduct a space walk in June of 1965, aboard the Gemini 4. He started over the Pacific Ocean and ended over the Gulf of Mexico, with the walk totaling to about 23 minutes. -
US: The United States lands the first human on the moon
Aboard Apollo 11, US commander Neil Armstrong and pilot Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to successfully land on the moon. -
USSR: First space station is put into orbit
On this day, the Soviet Union launched the first space station called Salyut 1, putting them, once again, far ahead of the US in the space race. -
US: Skylab launches into space
Skylab, the first American space station launches and stays in space for 6 years. -
US: Sally Ride becomes first American woman in space
On this day, Sally Ride became the third woman and the first American woman in space.
