History of the Rocket

Emergence of first True Rocket

Oct 4, 1232

Developed by the Chinese by adding gunpowder into a cylinder and igniting it to produce thrust. Mostly used for war with barbarians, ceremonies, and signals at the time.
http://inventors.about.com/od/rstartinventions/a/Rockets.htm

Rocket Equation

Oct 4, 1903

Russian Konstantin E. Tsiolkovsky created what is known as the "Rocket Equation", the equation concerns relationships between rocket speed and mass, as well as how fast the gas is leaving when it exits and how much propellant there is. He also published a theory of multistage rockets in 1929.
http://www.space.com/29295-rocket-history.html

First Liquid Fueled Rocket in Space

Mar 16, 1926

Robert Goddard is an American who sent the first liquid-fueled rocket into the air in Auburn, Mass. March 16, 1926. He had two U.S. patents for using a liquid-fueled rocket, and also for multistaged rockets.
http://www.space.com/29295-rocket-history.html

First Objects in Space Delivered by Rockets

Oct 4, 1957

The first time a rocket was used to send something into space was during Sputnik mission, which sent a Soviet satellite aloft using a multi staged rocket on Oct. 4, 1957. The United States, after some failed attempts, used a Jupiter-C rocket to bring the Explorer 1 satellite into space on Feb. 1, 1958.
http://www.space.com/29295-rocket-history.html

First Man in Space

Apr 12, 1961

Yuri Gagarin was the first human in space, leaving Earth on April 12, 1961, aboard a Vostok-K rocket for a multi-orbit flight. About three weeks later, Alan Shepard from the U.S., followed for a suborbital flight on a Redstone rocket.
http://www.space.com/29295-rocket-history.html

Missions to the Moon

Oct 4, 1969

NASA used the Saturn V rocket, which at 363 feet tall included three stages — the last one designed to break Earth's gravity. The rocket was successfully used to launch six moon-landing missions between 1969 and 1972.
http://www.space.com/29295-rocket-history.html

Breaching our Solar System

Sep 5, 1977

Thanks to rocketry, the Voyager 1 was able to breach the limits of our solar system. We are now able to get new photographs of new solar bodies.
http://www.space.com/29295-rocket-history.html

Modern Shuttle Rocketry

Oct 4, 1981

NASA's space shuttle program (1981-2011) used solid rockets for the first time to boost humans into space, which is notable because unlike liquid rockets, they cannot be turned off. The shuttle itself had three liquid-fueled engines, with two solid rocket boosters strapped on the sides. These shuttles can be reused to make the cost to launch cheaper.
http://www.space.com/29295-rocket-history.html