# Sputnik (1957)

URL: https://history-russia.com/timeline/1957-sputnik
Categories: main-event

The USSR launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial Earth satellite, on 4 October 1957. In November Sputnik 2 carried the dog Laika. A few days before Sputnik, the Kyshtym nuclear accident had contaminated a large area of the Urals, kept secret for decades. The launch shocked the United States and led to the creation of NASA. Sputnik began the Space Race.

## Why it matters
Sputnik began the Space Race.

Ruler at the time: [Nikita Khrushchev](https://history-russia.com/rulers/nikita-khrushchev)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Sputnik 1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sputnik_1)
- [Wikipedia — Kyshtym disaster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyshtym_disaster)
- [Wikipedia — Khrushchev thaw](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khrushchev_thaw)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Sputnik](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Sputnik)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of Russian history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Russian_history)