Natural satellites have been around for centuries, but they aren't really satellites at all. They're really moons that orbit around the planet that we are able to track all the way from Earth. Almost every planet has at least one satellite orbiting around it at all times. It wasn't until the mid 20th century did we begin to send artificial satellites to space.
The very first artificial satellite was Sputnik, the tiny beach-ball sized probe launched into space by Russia that lifted off back in 1957. This shocked much of the Western world as they thought that the Russians did not have the hardware available to send an object to space. Following that feat, the Russians sent another probe into space called the Sputnik 2. This ship carried a dog, named Laika.
The first American Satellite was called the Explorer 1. It was only 2% of the mass of the Sputnik, weighing in at only thirty lbs. Once people began to realize the power satellites truly had, advancements in satellite research sped up drastically. The Russians once again beat the Americans to the punch by constructing the world's first space station.
Soon other nations began to realize the benefits of having satellites. The weather could be predicted more accurately, telecommunications could improve in efficiency, and live television could be broadcasted across the world with only a few seconds delay. Satellites brought about an era of efficiency that the modern world relies heavily on today.
Sputnik 1:
Sources: https://www.space.com/24839-satellites.html
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