Arms and Space Race Timelines

The United States test the first fusion bomb, "Ivy Mike".

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/%22Ivy_Mike%22_atmospheric_nuclear_test_-_November_1952_-_Flickr_-_The_Official_CTBTO_Photostream.jpg

The United States detonates its first deliverable thermonuclear weapon at Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands. The device had a yield twice as large as expected, leading to the worst radiological disaster in US history.

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTtgpAYlILKUkvK2r-5FBHMFIVe0psIG-p2rWWVQAKS60f5tV4IfQ:i1.sndcdn.com/artworks-000031022614-bq1ack-original.png%3F61e8f21

The United States and the United Kingdom sign the 1958 US-UK Mutual Defence Agreement. This is a bilateral treaty on nuclear weapons cooperation signed after the United Kingdom successfully tested a hydrogen bomb during Operation Grapple.
(Picture of H-Bomb from Operation Grapple)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/OperationGrappleXmasIslandHbomb.jpg

Soviet Union rejects the Baruch Plan. Main idea of it was to implement control of nuclear power to the extent necessary to ensure its use only for peaceful purposes along with other basic ideas.
http://scarc.library.oregonstate.edu/omeka/files/thumbnails/energy0474-cover-600w_e35b896769.jpg

The Soviet Union conducts its first test of a hydrogen bomb, nicknamed Joe 4 by the Americans.

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRFw-L-Uu3-RQeok5MT-h_TTsyCWuiJxK0f6t9qEf8QGAjxcSpp2w:img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/orig/89806906.png

Soviet Union detonates the largest most powerful nuclear weapon ever.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c9/Tsar_photo11.jpg

The Soviet Union detonates Chagan as part of their Nuclear Explosions for the National Economy series to study the peaceful use of nuclear explosions.

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRUm0fEQ9VjoBATGaBYf_mutqJ1F0318s-Ba4vopwlCp_TctqHp:www.militarypictures.info/d/25619-2/ABM_missile.jpg

Explorer 1, the first American satellite to reach orbit, is launched. It carried scientific equipment that lead to the discovery of the Van Allen radiation belt
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/explorer/captions/images/Explorer_1-516.jpg

Explorer 2 is launced but it fails to reach orbit.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Juno-1_explorer-2.jpg