Perhaps the mightiest blast of the cold war occurred on Oct. 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union launched this shiny, whiskered metal ball into space. With Sputnik I, the Soviets had beaten the U.S. in the race to launch the world's first artificial satellite. The ominous headline in The New York Times read: "SPHERE TRACKED IN 4 CROSSINGS OVER U.S." The successful launch of the 183-pound, basketball-size satellite helped kick off the U.S.-Soviet space race. And for the Soviets, it was a stunning propaganda victory.

Related Links
NY Times: "Sputnik"

NASA: "Sputnik: The 40th Anniversary"