Overall, 1962 was a year of major milestones and breakthroughs in spaceflight, with both the United States and the Soviet Union making significant strides in their respective space programs.
On February 20, 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth aboard the Mercury-Atlas 6 spacecraft, Friendship 7.
On August 12, 1962, the Soviet Union launched the Vostok 3 and Vostok 4 missions, which marked the first time that two manned spacecraft were in orbit at the same time.
On September 12, 1962, President John F. Kennedy delivered his famous "We choose to go to the Moon" speech at Rice University, setting the goal of landing a man on the Moon before the end of the decade.
On October 3, 1962, the first communications satellite, Telstar 1, was launched by the United States, enabling live television broadcasts and other forms of global communication.
