It seemed appropriate to put this in Egg Head since the tag line for this thread is "Hardware, software, tech advice and rocket science"
On this date in 1957 - 50 years ago - the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, the first successful artificial satellite to be put into orbit. Thus began a fierce space race and cold war between the US and the Soviet Union.
NASA's take on the subject
Or if you prefer, the view from the Moscow News
And the obligatory pretty picture:
