THIS DAY IN HISTORY: November 3: 1957 : The Soviet space dog

November 3: 1957 : The Soviet space dog

The Soviet Union launches the first animal into space—a dog name Laika—aboard the Sputnik 2 spacecraft.
Laika, part Siberian husky, lived as a stray on the Moscow streets before being enlisted into the Soviet space program. Laika survived for several days as a passenger in the USSR's second artificial Earth satellite, kept alive by a sophisticated life-support system. Electrodes attached to her body provided scientists on the ground with important information about the biological effects of space travel. She died after the batteries of her life-support system ran down.
At least a dozen more Russian dogs were launched into space in preparation for the first manned Soviet space mission, and at least five of these dogs died in flight. On April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space, aboard the spacecraft Vostok 1. He orbited Earth once before landing safely in the USSR.

American Revolution
1777 : Washington learns of Conway cabal
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/washington-learns-of-conway-cabal

Automotive
1930 : Detroit-Windsor Tunnel opens to traffic
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/detroit-windsor-tunnel-opens-to-traffic

Civil War
1816 : Confederate General Jubal Early is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/jubal-early-born

Cold War
1964 : Johnson defeats Goldwater for presidency
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/johnson-defeats-goldwater-for-presidency

Crime
1984 : A serial killer abducts and rapes his teenage victim
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/a-serial-killer-abducts-and-rapes-his-teenage-victim

Disaster
1974 : Hotel fire ends in disaster in South Korea
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hotel-fire-ends-in-disaster-in-south-korea

General Interest
1903 : Panama declares independence
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/panama-declares-independence
1957 : The Soviet space dog
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-soviet-space-dog
1979 : Communists and Klansmen clash in Greensboro
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/communists-and-klansmen-clash-in-greensboro
1986 : Iran arms sales revealed
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/iran-arms-sales-revealed

Hollywood
1976 : Carrie creeps out audiences
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/carrie-creeps-out-audiences

Literary
1844 : Thackeray completes Barry Lyndon
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/thackeray-completes-barry-lyndon

Music
1962 : The Crystals earn a #1 hit with "He's A Rebel"-or do they?
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-crystals-earn-a-1-hit-with-quothe39s-a-rebelquot8212or-do-they

Old West
1883 : Black Bart makes his last stagecoach robbery
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/black-bart-makes-his-last-stagecoach-robbery

Presidential
1948 : Newspaper mistakenly declares Dewey president
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/newspaper-mistakenly-declares-dewey-president

Sports
1998 : The Body is elected governor of Minnesota
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-body-is-elected-governor-of-minnesota

Vietnam War
1967 : Battle of Dak To begins
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-dak-to-begins
1969 : Nixon calls on the "silent majority"
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nixon-calls-on-the-silent-majority

World War I
1918 : Central Powers face rebellion on the home front
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/central-powers-face-rebellion-on-the-home-front

World War II
1941 : The order is given: Bomb Pearl Harbor
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-order-is-given-bomb-pearl-harbor