The document outlines the key events in the Space Race between the Soviet Union and United States from the 1950s to 1969. It describes early pioneers in rocketry like Konstantin Tsiolkovsky and Robert Goddard. The Soviet Union took an early lead by launching Sputnik 1 in 1957 and sending the first human, Yuri Gagarin, into space in 1961. In response, US President Kennedy committed to landing a man on the moon. Through programs like Mercury and Apollo, the US achieved several firsts and caught up to the Soviets, ultimately achieving Kennedy's goal when Apollo 11 landed on the moon in 1969, bringing the Space Race to an end.