NACA, the predecessor of NASA, is founded.

U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs into law the National Aeronautics and Space Act, which creates the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

NASA is created to replace NACA.

Pioneer program: NASA launches the lunar probe Pioneer 1 (the probe falls back to Earth and burns up).

Project Mercury: NASA announces the selection of the United States' first seven astronauts, whom the news media quickly dub the "Mercury Seven".

President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs an executive order transferring Wernher von Braun and other German scientists from the United States Army to NASA.

In Huntsville, Alabama, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower formally dedicates the Marshall Space Flight Center (NASA had already activated the facility on July 1).

NASA launches the first Saturn I rocket in Mission Saturn-Apollo 1.

Apollo Project: NASA announces plans to build the C-5 rocket booster. It became better known as the Saturn V moon rocket, which launched every Apollo moon mission.

NASA's Ranger 4 spacecraft crashes into the Moon.

The Mariner 2 unmanned space mission is launched to Venus by NASA.

NASA "Relay 1" launch, first active repeater communications satellite in orbit.

NASA's ''Mariner 2'' becomes the first spacecraft to fly by Venus.

Mariner program: NASA launches the Mariner 4 probe toward Mars.

Ranger program: NASA launches Ranger 9 which is the last in a series of unmanned lunar space probes.

NASA launches Gemini 3, the United States' first two-man space flight (crew: Gus Grissom and John Young).

NASA spacecraft Ranger 9, equipped to convert its signals into a form suitable for showing on domestic television, brings images of the Moon into ordinary homes before crash landing.

Launch of ''Gemini 4'', the first multi-day space mission by a NASA crew. Crew-member Ed White performs the first American spacewalk.

One of the XB-70 Valkyrie prototypes is destroyed in a mid-air collision with a F-104 Starfighter chase plane during a photo shoot. NASA pilot Joseph A. Walker and United States Air Force test pilot Carl Cross are both killed.

NASA launches Gemini 12.

Apollo program: NASA launches the unmanned Apollo 4 test spacecraft atop the first Saturn V rocket from Cape Kennedy, Florida.

Apollo program: NASA launches Apollo 6.

Apollo program: NASA launches ''Apollo 7,'' the first successful manned Apollo mission, with astronauts Wally Schirra, Donn F. Eisele and Walter Cunningham aboard.

Apollo program: NASA launches Apollo 12, the second manned mission to the surface of the Moon.

NASA announces the cancellation of two Apollo missions to the Moon, Apollo 15 (the designation is re-used by a later mission), and Apollo 19.

Mariner program: NASA launches the ''Mariner 10'' toward Mercury. On March 29, 1974, it becomes the first space probe to reach that planet.

Skylab program: NASA launches Skylab 4 with a crew of three astronauts from Cape Canaveral, Florida for an 84-day mission.

NASA's Mariner 10 becomes the first spaceprobe to fly by Mercury. It was launched on November 3, 1973.

Western Union (in cooperation with NASA and Hughes Aircraft) launches the United States' first commercial geosynchronous communications satellite, Westar 1.

Viking Program: NASA launches the Viking 1 planetary probe toward Mars.

The first Space Shuttle, Enterprise, is unveiled by NASA.

The NASA space probe ''Voyager I'' makes its closest approach to Saturn and takes the first images of its rings.

NASA launches the Intelsat V-508 satellite.

NASA's Space Shuttle ''Columbia'', is launched from the Kennedy Space Center on its third mission, STS-3.

Space Shuttle: NASA launches STS-26, the return to flight mission, after the Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' disaster. 160px, flown by OV-103.]]

NASA launches Space Shuttle ''Endeavour'' on STS-47 which marked the 50th shuttle mission. On board are Mae Carol Jemison, the first African-American woman in space, Mamoru Mohri, the first Japanese citizen to fly in a US spaceship, and Mark Lee and Jan Davis, the first married couple in space.

NASA loses contact with the Mars Observer spacecraft.

NASA loses radio contact with the Magellan spacecraft as the probe descends into the thick atmosphere of Venus (the spacecraft presumably burned up in the atmosphere).

NASA's Discovery Program begins as the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft lifts off on the first mission ever to orbit and land on an asteroid, 433 Eros.

NASA announces that the ALH 84001 meteorite, thought to originate from Mars, contains evidence of primitive life-forms.