1961 ⟶ Yuri Gagarin's Vostok 1 Flight: First Human in Space

April 12: Yuri Gagarin, flying the Vostok 1 spacecraft as pa...
Timelines Logo
Year
1950
1957
1959
1961
1968

⚛️ Tokamak Fusion Reactor Concept Developed

The Toroidal chamber with axial magnetic fields (the Tokamak) is developed by Igor E. Tamm and Andrei D. Sakharov.⟶
Tokamak Fusion Reactor Concept Developed (1950)
PhysicsScientific InnovationCold WarSoviet Union
Soviet UnionSoviet Union

🚀 Soviet Union Launches Sputnik 1

October 4: Launch of Sputnik 1 and the beginning of the Space Age.⟶
Soviet Union Launches Sputnik 1 (1957)
Space RaceCold WarSoviet UnionScientific AdvancementSpace ExplorationSatelliteGeopolitics
Soviet UnionSoviet Union

🐕 Soviet Union Launches Laika into Orbit

November 3: Laika becomes the first animal launched into Earth orbit.⟶
Soviet Union Launches Laika into Orbit (1957)
Space RaceSoviet UnionCold WarSpace ExplorationScientific Advancement
Soviet UnionSoviet Union

📸 Luna 3 Transmits First Photos of the Moon's Far Side

October 7: The USSR probe Luna 3 sends back the first ever photos of the far side of the Moon.⟶
Luna 3 Transmits First Photos of the Moon's Far Side (1959)
Space ExplorationCold WarSoviet UnionMoonAstronomySpace Race
Soviet UnionSoviet Union

🚀 Yuri Gagarin's Vostok 1 Flight: First Human in Space

April 12: Yuri Gagarin, flying the Vostok 1 spacecraft as part of the Vostok program, becomes the first human in space.⟶
Yuri Gagarin's Vostok 1 Flight: First Human in Space (1961)
Space ExplorationSpace RaceCold WarSoviet UnionAstronauticsScientific Achievement
Soviet UnionSoviet Union

🚀 Zond 5 Mission: First Lifeforms to Orbit the Moon

September – Zond 5 travels to the Moon with the first lifeforms to reach Earth's satellite⟶
Zond 5 Mission: First Lifeforms to Orbit the Moon (1968)
Space ExplorationSoviet UnionCold WarSpace RaceMoonBiologyAstronauticsScientific Advancement
Soviet UnionSoviet Union