oct 4, 1957 - Launch of the Sputnik 1

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On October 4th the USSR shocked the US as it launched the first satellite into space. This technological advancement initiated the beginning of the Space Race in which the US and USSR battled to prove their technology was better than the other. USSR had the early leap with the launch of Sputnik 1 and the first man in space to also orbit the earth. Americans became concerned with the advancement of the USSR and feared what threat they could pose to them.

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