World History

elleng

(136,043 posts) Thu Oct 3, 2024, 11:09 PM Oct 3

Anyone remember?

My family and I were on our way for a trip to Europe, and didn't know what USSR was up to! On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the earth's first artificial satellite, Sputnik I. The successful launch came as a shock to experts and citizens in the United States, who had hoped that the United States would accomplish this scientific advancement first.

11 replies

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Anyone remember? (Original Post) elleng Oct 3 OP

Oh, yes, the space race! Permanut Oct 3 #1

I remember radical noodle Oct 3 #2

Definitely remember the shock when Ruskies did it first. Can also remember around that time Silent Type Oct 3 #3

I've read about it, Bayard Oct 4 #4

IIRC we didn't get a satellite up for a while. The USSR then put a man in orbit... brush Oct 4 #5

THANKS for the history, brush!!! elleng Oct 4 #6

Sure. Hope you're still ok, no Helene damage. brush Oct 4 #8

None AT ALL, and the sun came out, and elleng Oct 4 #9

My dad took us out in the back yard to watch it streak by. JohnnyRingo Oct 4 #7

Your pants? Cartoonist Oct 4 #10

hahaha I was only four. JohnnyRingo Oct 4 #11

Permanut

(6,636 posts)

1. Oh, yes, the space race!

Reply to elleng (Original post)

Thu Oct 3, 2024, 11:15 PM

Oct 3

radical noodle

(8,578 posts)

2. I remember

Reply to elleng (Original post)

Thu Oct 3, 2024, 11:27 PM

Oct 3

I was 10 years old. It was such a big deal.

Silent Type

(6,652 posts)

3. Definitely remember the shock when Ruskies did it first. Can also remember around that time

Reply to elleng (Original post)

Thu Oct 3, 2024, 11:39 PM

Oct 3

all the fear about getting nuked.

Bayard

(24,145 posts)

4. I've read about it,

Reply to elleng (Original post)

Fri Oct 4, 2024, 12:24 AM

Oct 4

But I was not quite into world events yet at 2 months old.

brush

(57,471 posts)

5. IIRC we didn't get a satellite up for a while. The USSR then put a man in orbit...

Reply to elleng (Original post)

Fri Oct 4, 2024, 01:12 AM

Oct 4

before we finally sent Alan Shepard straight up into space, then down, but no orbit. The Ruskies were way ahead of us but we caught them, and passed them. The movie "Hidden Figures" is a good account of that time. See it if you can.

In fact, trying to keep up with us and the weapons in space wars is what broke the USSR,Brezhnev. and all the others who followed him in short order.

The sophisticated Gorbachev followed and gave us a scare for a minute as many thought Reagan was no match for him. But the Berlin Wall fell, a momentous event in '89, and he was forced out as the country was broke. Yeltsin came next but was a drunk and couldn't handle it. He finally gave way to fucking Putin in the 90s and he hasn't left yet.

But guess what, Russia's economy is in the tank again because of Putin's ill-advised Ukraine invasion and international sanctions that have followed it. Putin is old and won't be around much longer. We will beat them again.