First on the Moon

Less than a year after launching Sputnik, the first satellite, in October 1957, the Soviets were aiming for the Moon. After several false starts, the nation finally made it with Luna 2 in September 1959. This was a deliberate crash landing; the 390-kilogram spacecraft had no braking rockets or landing legs, and the main payload simply consisted of two grenade-like spheres that scattered Soviet emblems over the lunar surface.

All said, it was an astonishing achievement for the 1950s.