yesterday was the 50th anniversary of the launch of Venera (later renamed Venera 1), the first true interplanetary probe (heading to another planet, that is)
http://www.mentallandscape.com/V_OKB1.htm
http://utenti.multimania.it/paoloulivi/venera1.html

and 50 years ago today Venera made its silent flyby of Venus, the first of another planet by a man- (and woman-) made spacecraft