Who launched the first artifficial satallite into orbit around earth?

There were several unsuccessful attempts by both the USSR and the USA before

the first one that successfully achieved orbit.

The first successful one was launched by the USSR, from the Baikonur Kosmodrome

in Kazakhstan, on October 4, 1957, and it stayed up for about 3 months.

The purpose was to demonstrate that the country could launch the necessary

weight, and achieve the necessary pinpoint navigation, to plant a nuclear warhead

anywhere in the world they wanted to.

Again, the USSR succeeded first.