Historical eventJanuary 21959

Luna 1

The Soviet Luna 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon, was launched by a Vostok rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Everything on January 2Original source

In context

When
Friday, January 2 195967 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1950s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1959.

What happened

Luna 1, also known as Mechta, E-1 No.4 and First Lunar Rover, was the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of Earth's Moon, the first spacecraft to leave Earth's orbit, and the first to be placed in heliocentric orbit. Luna 1 was launched as part of the Soviet Luna programme in 1959.

January 2 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1959Luna 1
  2. 1981United Kingdom
  3. 1988Condor Flugdienst Flight 3782
  4. 1991Sharon Pratt
  5. 1993Sri Lankan civil war
  6. 2004Stardust (spacecraft)
  7. 2009Sri Lankan civil war
  8. 2016Nimr al-Nimr
  9. 20222022 Kazakh unrest
  10. 20242024 Haneda Airport runway collision
  11. 2024Haneda Airport

Also in 1959

  • September 13Luna 2The Soviet spacecraft Luna 2 (model pictured) struck the Moon, the first spacecraft to reach another celestial body.
  • September 15Nikita KhrushchevNikita Khrushchev becomes the first Soviet leader to visit the United States.
  • June 14Disneyland MonorailDisneyland Monorail System, the first daily operating monorail system in the Western Hemisphere, opens to the public in Anaheim, California.
  • August 17Miles DavisAmerican musician Miles Davis released Kind of Blue, which became one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed jazz recordings o…
  • November 21Disc jockeyAmerican disc jockey Alan Freed (pictured), who popularized the term rock and roll, was fired from WABC-AM for his role in the payola sca…
  • November 16The Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music, a musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein based on The Story of the Trapp Family Singers, opened on Broadway at the Lunt-F…
  • November 16National Airlines Flight 967National Airlines Flight 967 explodes in mid-air over the Gulf of Mexico, killing all 42 aboard.
  • March 181959 Tibetan uprisingTibetan uprising: After the 14th Dalai Lama sought refuge at Sera Monastery in Lhasa, Tibet, Chinese forces bombarded the monastery, infl…

Everything we record for 1959 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Luna 1”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/luna-1-1959-january-2, accessed October 24, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Luna 1 happen?

January 2 1959 — 67 years ago, on a Friday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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