On this day: The out-of-this-world canines who survived space

On August 19, 1960, Soviet space dogs Belka and Strelka became the first animals to orbit the Earth and return safely back home. It was the first space flight to put animals into orbit and return them safely back to Earth, paving the way for the Soviets to send a human just eight months later.

Source: thenewsdaily.com