The document summarizes key events in space exploration from the 1950s to the 2000s. It describes the launch of Sputnik in 1957 kicking off the space race. The first human in space was Yuri Gagarin in 1961, and the first moon landing was Apollo 11 in 1969. Significant events in following decades included the first Venus and Jupiter flybys in the 1970s, the first space shuttle mission in 1981, confirmation of an exoplanet in 1992, and Mars rover landings in the 2000s.