Why and when did the space race happen?

The space race occurred primarily during the Cold War, from the late 1950s to the early 1970s, as the United States and the Soviet Union competed for supremacy in space exploration. It was driven by the desire for technological and military superiority, as well as national pride. Key milestones included the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik in 1957, the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin, in 1961, and the U.S. landing on the Moon in 1969 with Apollo 11. The race symbolized broader geopolitical tensions and ideological conflicts between the two superpowers.