From Barbie’s Big Break to Sputnik’s Canine Crew—Answers

Kanmon Roadway Tunnel Moji side entrance, Route 2, Moji-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan
Wikipedia

This is the correct order 1. Kanmon tunnel 1958, 2. Barbie in 1959 and 3. Sputnik 9 in 1961.

  1. The Kanmon tunnels, connecting Honshu and Kyushu. The first (railway tunnel) was the world’s first under-ocean tunnel. A highway and pedestrian tunnel was built in the 1950s using improved equipment with the roadway tunnel opening 9 March 1958.
    Ruth Handler, executive of Mattel Toy company, posing with collection of Barbie dolls, 1961
    Wikipedia
  2. Barbie, introduced by Mattel on 9 March 1959, is an iconic 11-inch doll modelled after the German Bild Lilli doll. Despite initial controversy over her figure, Barbie was marketed to children, becoming a symbol of financial independence with diverse careers. Over the years, Mattel expanded the Barbie line to include friends, siblings, and diverse versions, addressing criticisms of materialism and unrealistic body proportions. Barbie has inspired art and literature and remains a global brand, though not accepted in some Muslim countries. In 2023, a film directed by Greta Gerwig was released. Barbie continues to be a popular collectible, with annual sales exceeding a billion dollars.
    This test flight mannequin named “Ivan Ivanovich” orbited the Earth in 1961.
    Now on display at the National Air and Space Museum.
    Wikipedia
  3. Sputnik 9 (its western name), officially Korabl-Sputnik 4, launched on 9 March 1961 at 06:29:00 UTC from Baikonur Cosmodrome using a Vostok-K rocket. It reached low Earth orbit but was deorbited after one orbit, reentering on its first pass over the Soviet Union. The spacecraft landed at 08:09:54 UTC and was successfully recovered. A mannequin was ejected during descent to test the ejection seat, descending separately under a parachute. The dog, Chernushka, was recovered unharmed inside the capsule.
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