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#OTD20 | October 4, 1957

Sputnik Launch: The Dawn of the Space Age

October 4, 1957: The world witnesses a defining moment in human history as the Soviet Union successfully launches Sputnik I, the Earth's first artificial satellite.

Beaming back its iconic beeps from space, Sputnik is not just a feat of engineering but also a declaration of Soviet prowess in the intensifying Cold War.

"Today, a new moon is in the sky, a 23-inch metal sphere placed in orbit by a Russian rocket." - Announcement from Radio Moscow, 1957.

While the Soviets celebrate, the launch jolts the American public and Eisenhower administration. Rockets that can send satellites into orbit can also be used to send ballistic missiles across oceans. The swift U.S. response ushers in a new era of innovation, exploration, and competition.

Sputnik's launch is milestone in space exploration and ignites a race that would define global dynamics and technological advancements for decades to come.

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The launch of Sputnik I and the Space Race are chronicled in our video program, "The Sixties," from "America in the 20th Century."

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Additional Resources

Access more information from Media Rich Learning and curated off-site sources.

NASA

Read "65 Years Ago: Sputnik Ushers in the Space Age" at the website of National Aeronatics and Space Administration.

Library of Congress

Explore the research guide, "Sputnik and the Space Race: 1957 and Beyond" at the website of the Library of Congress.

Miller Center

Follow a timeline of the Space Race at the website of the Miller Center at the University of Virginia.

#OTD20

Step back in time to experience the significant events that happened on this day in the 20th century.

Neville Chamberlain, in a colorized photo, raising the Munich Agreement.

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A colorized photograph of an old and frail President Woodrow Wilson, covered in a blanket, riding in a vehicle.

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Colorized photo of Elizabeth Eckford, one of the Little Rock Nine, walking alone through a hostile mob during the desegregation of Central High School in 1957.

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Mao Zedong speaking at the podium

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Colorized photo, from original black and white, of James Meredith flanked by civil rights attorneys Constance Motley and Jack Greenberg

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a propaganda-style poster featuring Adolph Hitler and Josef Stalin

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a photo montage of four young African American girls

September 15, 1963: Birmingham Church Bombing

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