On October 4, 1957, the day Leave It to Beaver premiered on American television, the Soviet Union launched the space age.
Paul Dickson chronicles the dramatic events and developments l.
Sputnik, all of 184 pounds with only a radio transmitter inside its highly polished shell, became the first artificial satellite in space; while it immediately shocked the world, its long-term impact was even greater, for it profoundly changed the shape of the twentieth century.
On October 4, 1957, the day Leave It to Beaver premiered on American television, the Soviet Union launched the space age