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February 9, 1959

Revisit the news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.

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Headlines from February 9, 1959

Historical Events

R-7 Semyorka

1959The R-7 Semyorka, the first intercontinental ballistic missile, becomes operational at Plesetsk, USSR.[โ€ ]

The R-7 Semyorka was a Soviet missile developed during the Cold War, and the world's first intercontinental ballistic missile. The R-7 made 28 launches between 1957 and 1961. A derivative, the R-7A, was operational from 1960 to 1968. To the West it was unknown until its launch. In modified form, it launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, into orbit, and became the basis for the R-7 family which includes Sputnik, Luna, Molniya, Vostok, and Voskhod space launchers, as well as later Soyuz variants. Various modifications are still in use and it has become the world's most reliable space launcher.

Historical Context for February 9, 1959

In 1959, the world population was approximately 2,965,950,351 people[โ€ ]