Space Race

On October 4th, 1957, Sputnik 1 was the first man-made satellite in space. The Soviet Union building this added onto the already tense conflict internal between America and the Soviet Union in the Cold War, but more specifically it started the Space Race. The first nation in orbit, the first man in orbit, and eventually the first man to the moon. All of this stems from this particular date in history, when the Soviets successfully got something into space. No matter what side you were on, it was unmistakable how big of a step for humanity this feat was. It was a culmination of technology at the time working toward one specific goal, and it worked. The final frontier had been reached.
This day in history directed the world's attention to the stars, as the idea of a man in space was no longer a science fiction story. It was real life. NASA's push to the sky and the moon was no doubt because the Soviet Union simply couldn't be superior at anything, what with their "communism" and all. The 60s and 70s would've seen advances in other areas than space technology and its use to everyday citizens. We may still not have been to the moon today if it weren't for Sputnik 1. The significance of this event is something worth appreciating because of how rare it is to live in the aftermath of an advancement like this. This was a first for everyone, and now there aren't too many other places to explore. An accomplishment as significant as Sputnik 1's launch hadn't happened since "Columbus sailed the ocean blue." The discovery of the Americas, however, was not more than a step in humanity's journey through life, and as we all know, Sputnik 1 was one small step for the Soviet Union, and one giant leap for mankind. There is more to come, and there always will be until the universe ends, because humans are curious creatures. We have 40 year wars over a difference in ideology, and we dump billions of dollars into programs just to one-up our enemies. We are a people defined by our actions, and on October 4th, 1957, our action changed the way we view the world.