The Space Race was the rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union to achieve milestones in spaceflight during the Cold War. It began when the Soviets launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, which shocked the United States and prompted the creation of NASA. The Soviets then sent the dog Laika into orbit and put Yuri Gagarin into space as the first human in 1961. In response President John F. Kennedy committed the United States to landing a man on the Moon, achieved by Apollo 11 in 1969. The end of the race is usually marked by the joint Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, in which American and Soviet crews docked in orbit in 1975.
Before and after
- 1 August 1957Founding of German Federal Bank
- 14 August 1957Birth of Dani Rodrik
- 21 September 1957Birth of Kevin Rudd
- 24 September 1957Construction of Camp Nou
- from 4 October 1957 to 1 July 1975Space race
- 4 October 1957Launch of Sputnik 1
- 23 October 1957Birth of Paul Kagame
- from 23 October 1957 to 30 June 1958Ifni War
- 3 November 1957Launch of Sputnik 2
More in Exploration & discovery
- 3 August 1958The USS Nautilus crosses the North Pole under the ice
- 14 July 1965Mariner 4 sends the first close-up pictures of Mars
- 1 September 1985The wreck of the Titanic is found
- January 2004Spirit and Opportunity land on Mars
- 26 September 2022DART spacecraft deflects an asteroid
- 23 August 2023Chandrayaan-3 lands near the lunar south pole
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.