1957

1957 was the official start of humanity's space age. (PROSE: Inter-Galactic Cat)

On 1 May, the Soviet Union secretly launched Earth's first artificial satellite, Sputnik, but it was hijacked by to send a signal to the Tzun. The Soviets wiped the embarrassing failure from their history books. (PROSE: First Frontier)

In October, the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Bernice Summerfield visited New Mexico, where they stopped and the Tzun from conquering Earth. (PROSE: First Frontier)

On 15 October, a BBC News bulletin reported on the recent launch of Sputnik, Earth's first artificial satellite, by the Soviet Union. (AUDIO: Unregenerate!)

On 25 December, the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn Smythe met the Cracker family. (PROSE: The Crackers)

Noël Coward met Iris Wildthyme at the Royal Variety Performance at some point this year. They immediately became friends. (PROSE: Mad Dogs and Englishmen)

Douglas Caldwell, a member of Torchwood One, died. (TV: To the Last Man)

Edgar Nelson-Stanley discovered the Gorgon talisman in Syria. (TV: Eye of the Gorgon)

The Seventh Doctor owned a map of Paris from this year. (PROSE: The Death of Art)

Malcolm was born. (PROSE: Time and Relative)

The low budget black-and-white science fiction B-movie Swamp of Horrors was released. It starred Adrian Cooper as Professor Derek Spire and Sheena Sown as his beautiful assistant Melody Malone. The Sixth Doctor and Melanie Bush were investigating UFO sightings in the proximity of its filming location Hammerston, Louisiana and became involved in the production of the film after attacking an actor in a rubber alien suit whom they mistook for a genuine alien. The Doctor, who used his pseudonym "Dr. John Smith", and Mel were assumed to be uncredited actors playing fictional characters by film critics. (PROSE: Swamp of Horrors (1957) - Viewing Notes)