Luna 2

Historical eventSeptember 131959

Luna 2

The Soviet spacecraft Luna 2 (model pictured) struck the Moon, the first spacecraft to reach another celestial body.

Everything on September 13Original source

In context

When
Sunday, September 13 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

The Soviet spacecraft Luna 2 (model pictured) struck the Moon, the first spacecraft to reach another celestial body.

September 13 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1959Luna 2
  2. 1993Yitzhak Rabin
  3. 1993Nirvana (band)
  4. 1997German Air Force
  5. 2001September 11 attacks
  6. 2005Corrupted Blood incident
  7. 2007Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
  8. 2007McLaren
  9. 2008Delhi
  10. 200813 September 2008 Delhi bombings
  11. 2013Taliban

Also in 1959

  • 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…
  • March 18Hawaii Admission ActThe Hawaii Admission Act is signed into law.

Everything we record for 1959 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Luna 2”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/luna-2-1959-september-13, accessed October 24, 2026.

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Questions about this entry

When did Luna 2 happen?

September 13 1959 — 67 years ago, on a Sunday.

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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