Space Race Timeline

Sputnik 1

Oct 4, 1957

The soviets launched the first ever artificial satellite in to space on October 4th, 1957, This was the main reason the space race began.
https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_924.html

Explorer 1

Jan 31, 1958

This was the first satellite launched by the United states following the first 2 satellites launched by the soviets. This showed the United States was entering the space race. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explorer_1

Ham the astrochimp

Jan 31, 1961

Ham was the first hominid launched into space as part of America's space program. Ham was given specific training for the flight and successfully returned back to earth with only a bruised nose. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ham_(chimpanzee)

Yuri Gagarin

Apr 12, 1961

Yuri Gagarin was a soviet pilot and cosmonaut. He was the first human to journey into outer space when his Vostok spacecraft completed an orbit of the earth. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuri_Gagarin

Alan Shepard

May 1, 1961

Alan Shepard was a astronaut, naval aviator, test pilot, and businessman. He was also the second person in space and the first American in space. He was also the first person to manually control the orientation of his spacecraft. He would also walk on the moon later in life. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Shepard

John Glenn

Feb 20, 1962

John Glenn was the first person to orbit the earth and circled it 3 times.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Glenn

Gemini Program (Spacewalk)

Jun 3, 1965

Ed White became the first American to conduct a spacewalk. The space walk lasted 23 minutes. It started in the pacific ocean and ended in the Gulf of Mexico. https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_1098.html

Gemini Program (Rendezvous)

Dec 15, 1965

Gemini 7 and Gemini 6A made a rendezvous and successfully did all the procedures and stayed with 100 meters of each other. https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/masterCatalog.do?sc=1965-100A

Apollo 1

Feb 21, 1967

Apollo 1 was the first manned mission of the United States Apollo Program. The ultimate goal of the mission was to land humans on the moon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_1

Apollo 8

Dec 21, 1968

Apollo 8 was the second manned mission from the United States Apollo Program. It was the first spacecraft to leave earths orbit and reach the moons orbit. They also successfully returned back to earth. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_8

Apollo 11

Jul 16, 1969

Apollo 11 was the spacecraft that landed the first 2 humans on the moon. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, two American astronauts successfully landed on the moon on July 20th, 1969. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_11

Lunokhod 1

Nov 10, 1970

The lunokhod was the first of 2 unmanned rovers sent to the moon by the soviet union. It weighed 12,350 lbs and landed on the moon on November 17th. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunokhod_1