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October 4, 1957
Sputnik 1, the first man-made object to orbit the Earth, is launched by the U.S.S.R., and remains in orbit until January 4, 1958. -
May 5, 1961
May 5, 1961 - Mercury Freedom 7 carries Alan B. Shepard,Jr., the first U.S. Astronaut into space, in a suborbital flight -
December 21, 1968
Apollo 8 is launched with Frank Borman, James A. Lovell, Jr. and William A. Anders, the first Apollo to use the Saturn V rocket, and the first manned spacecraft to orbit the Moon, making 10 orbits on its 6-day mission. -
December 26, 1974
Soviet Salyut 4, civilian space station, is launched. It remains in orbit until February 2, 1977. -
December 20, 1981
The ESA launches a fourth Ariane rocket.
