* First object in space: The V-2 rocket, a German ballistic missile, reached an altitude of 100 km (62 miles) on October 3, 1942. This is often considered the first object to reach "space" according to the commonly accepted definition of the Kármán line.
* First animal in space: The Soviet dog Laika was launched into orbit aboard the Sputnik 2 spacecraft on November 3, 1957. This was the first animal to orbit the Earth.
* First human in space: Yuri Gagarin of the Soviet Union became the first human in space aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft on April 12, 1961.
* First woman in space: Valentina Tereshkova of the Soviet Union became the first woman in space aboard the Vostok 6 spacecraft on June 16, 1963.
So, depending on what you define as "space flight," the answer could be any of these dates.
