Question

In October of 1957, the Soviet Union shocked the United States by

Answer 1

I was in high school when this happened. Sure tells you how old I am. 
The USSR launched Sputnik -- the first vessel to make an orbit around the earth. You should google it. It caused an uproar even here in Canada. All of a sudden science became important -- even more important than poodle skirts but of course not more important than who wore them. 

Answer 2

On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the earth's first artificial satellite, Sputnik-1. The successful launch came as a shock to experts and citizens in theUnited States, who had hoped that the United States would accomplish this scientific advancement first. Hope this helps!!!