1957: Sputnik satellite blasts into space. A Russian satellite has been launched into space - the first man-made object ever to leave the Earth's atmosphere. The Russian news agency, Tass, said the satellite Sputnik was now 560 miles (900 kilometres) above the Earth and circling it every hour-and-a-half. Scientists predict the metal sphere will eventually burn up in the atmosphere but they hope it will send important data back to Earth before doing so.
In south-central Kansas, the Wichita metropolitan area is home to over 600,000 people. Wichita is the largest city in the state in terms of both land area and population. 'The Air Capital' is a major manufacturing center for the aircraft industry and the home of Wichita State University.
The estimated 2013 population of Kansas City, Missouri is 466,600, which is up slightly from the 2010 census population of 459,787. The city has a greater density than the metropolitan area as a whole at 1,472 people per square mile (569/square kilometer).