The Space Race was a 20th-century competition between the United States and the Soviet Union for supremacy in spaceflight.

It was a major front in the Cold War, demonstrating technological prowess and ideological superiority.

The race began in 1957 when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial satellite.

The launch of Sputnik shocked the United States and led to the creation of NASA and a massive increase in science and technology funding.

The Soviets achieved a series of early victories, including sending the first animal to space, the first man (Yuri Gagarin), and the first woman.

In response, U.S. President John F. Kennedy committed the nation in 1961 to the goal of landing a man on the Moon by the end of the decade.

This goal was pursued through NASA's Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs.

The United States achieved its goal with the Apollo 11 mission in July 1969, when Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk on the Moon.

The Moon landing is widely seen as the decisive victory for the U.S. in the Space Race.

The competition spurred immense technological innovation that has had lasting benefits in fields like materials science and computing.