Major "space race" and defense events of the year 1957. Laika, Soviet space dog prepared for the space flight. Laika takes off in Sputnik 2 in Soviet Union. An animation shows the spacecraft in outer space. In United States, Space Race efforts to launch a small "grapefruit" satellite on Vanguard TV-3 test rocket meet in failure as the rocket explodes at take off on December 6, 1957. View of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. President Dwight D Eisenhower arrives in Paris, France to talk about the development of missiles with other NATO leaders. The French Prime Minister Felix Gaillard with President Eisenhower. View of Atlas missile SM-65A Serial 12A launched successfully from Cape Canaveral pad LC-14 in Florida, United States, on December 17, 1957.
Women's diving finalists are seen performing platform dives at AAU meet in Houston,Texas, on August 16,1957. Paula Jean ("PJ") Myers wins the gold medal. (Narrator notes she won the gold medals in every AAU meet held in 1957). Myers is seen putting on her sweatshirt after a dive. Scene shifts to Florida, where several expert Water skiers,including an Italian woman, display tricks during World Water Skiing Championship tournament at Cypress Gardens, Florida, on September 17, 1957. Winner of the Tournament's trick skiing event, Mike Amsbury, of California, is seen performing in the final sequence.
Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox vies for the major league baseball batting title with Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees. Mickey Mantle seen seated in the Yankee dugout next to manager, Casey Stengel. Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox walking across ball field in front of the camera. Ted Williams, at bat, hits a long drive. (Note: Williams won the batting title for the year, with an average of .388 and Mantle was runnerup with .365.) Scene changes to 7th game of the 1957 World Series, between the Milwaukee Braves and the New York Yankees, on October 10th, 1957. Braves pitcher, Lew Burdette, rubs a ball, as he stands on the mound. View of the final pitch, and play of the game that retires the Yankee side and wins the series for the Braves, whose players rush onto the field to celebrate with Burdette. Fans spill onto the field from the stands. (Note: Lew Burdette, started three games, won three games, threw two shutouts,and was named most valuable player in this 1957 World Series.)
The Nazi Army enters Austria. Nazi soldiers on horses as they enter Innsbruck, Kufstein and Salzburg in Austria after crossing over its frontiers. People give the Nazi salute. Soldiers advance towards Austria. A convoy of German trucks on the move. German soldiers enter towns and villages. People welcome the troops as they wave Nazi flags. A Nazi band plays. Newly appointed Chancellor of Austria, Artur Seyys-Inquart in a balcony as he waves to the crowds. German troops loaded in trucks move towards Austria. A motorcade moves past a large crowd as people cheer.
Famous tourist destinations and architecture in Vienna, Austria. A group of girls holding flags (depicting the Viennese coat of arms) performs an aerobic dance. A large crowd of spectators to see the performance. View of people outside the Vienna State Opera(Wiener Staatsoper Opernring 2, 1010 Wien, Austria). The Vienna Tram 71 passes by the Vienna City Hall (Wiener Rathaus Rathausplatz, 1010 Wien, Austria). View of the neoclassical Austrian Parliament Building (Dr.-Karl-Renner-Ring 3, 1017 Wien, Austria). People walking in a busy street in the Innere Stadt district showing the Vienna office of the Hamburg-Amerika Linie. People visiting the Schönbrunn Palace (Schönbrunner Schloßstraße 47, 1130 Wien, Austria). A naiads fountain in a pond in front of the Schönbrunn Palace.
Austria is liberated to independent self rule by the occupying nations, post World War 2. Exterior of Upper Belvedere Palace building in Vienna, Austria. Troops of the occupying nations parade. A large crowd gathers for celebrating the independence after Austrian State Treaty agrement. The flags of the big four occupying powers, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union, being lowered from the flag poles and the flag of Austria is raised. Officials stand amidst the crowd, including brief close up views of Theodor Körner, the President of Austria, and Julius Raab, the Chancellor of Austria. People cheering and celebrating.