Anyone remember?

[elleng]

My family and I were on our way for a trip to Europe, and didn't know what USSR was up to! On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the earth's first artificial satellite, Sputnik I. The successful launch came as a shock to experts and citizens in the United States, who had hoped that the United States would accomplish this scientific advancement first.

[Permanut]

1. Oh, yes, the space race!

[radical noodle]

2. I remember

I was 10 years old. It was such a big deal.

[Silent Type]

3. Definitely remember the shock when Ruskies did it first. Can also remember around that time

all the fear about getting nuked.

[Bayard]

4. I've read about it,

But I was not quite into world events yet at 2 months old.

[brush]

5. IIRC we didn't get a satellite up for a while. The USSR then put a man in orbit...

before we finally sent Alan Shepard straight up into space, then down, but no orbit. The Ruskies were way ahead of us but we caught them, and passed them. The movie "Hidden Figures" is a good account of that time. See it if you can.

In fact, trying to keep up with us and the weapons in space wars is what broke the USSR,Brezhnev. and all the others who followed him in short order.

The sophisticated Gorbachev followed and gave us a scare for a minute as many thought Reagan was no match for him. But the Berlin Wall fell, a momentous event in '89, and he was forced out as the country was broke. Yeltsin came next but was a drunk and couldn't handle it. He finally gave way to fucking Putin in the 90s and he hasn't left yet.

But guess what, Russia's economy is in the tank again because of Putin's ill-advised Ukraine invasion and international sanctions that have followed it. Putin is old and won't be around much longer. We will beat them again.

[elleng]

6. THANKS for the history, brush!!!

[brush]

8. Sure. Hope you're still ok, no Helene damage.

[elleng]

9. None AT ALL, and the sun came out, and

appears to be staying for a WEEK!!!

HI temp Saturday 77, 'declines' to 68 Tuesday.

[JohnnyRingo]

7. My dad took us out in the back yard to watch it streak by.

I think it was Sputnik because I was only four years old, but maybe it was Telstar.
I remember my pants concern for war.

[Cartoonist]

10. Your pants?

You have a weak sphincter?

[JohnnyRingo]

11. hahaha I was only four.

My parents were crapping their pants, I was still learning how to use the toilet myself