Cold+War+js

**Taiwan**

Communists had taken power in mainland China, the nationalist still controlled Taiwan and several small islands along China's coast. Taiwan was one of the islands who needed protection at all costs. When China began shelling the islands and announced that Taiwan would be liberated, Eisenhower had asked congress to authorize the use of force to defend Taiwan, then he had warned the Chinese that any attack on taiwan would be resisted by U.S. forces. China soon afterward backed down.


 * Launch of Sputnik **

On October 4, 1957 the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik. The worlds first artificial satellite was about the size of a beach ball, weighed about 83.6 kg or 189.9 pounds and took 98 minutes to orbit the earth on its elliptical path.