Laika; Soviet Space Dog of 1957

My favorite historical figure is not a person, but actually a dog.

Laika (meaning "little barker" in Russian) was the first living being to orbit the earth. She was found on the streets of Moscow as a stray, as all of the CCCP's space dogs were. This saved a lot of money, leaving budget for more important technical supplies.

However, it did not save enough money to develop a return to Earth for Laika. Because the program was ordered to send up Laika within just one month of Sputnik's launch, a deadline that forced the team to cut corners, Laika never returned home.

Later, members of the team said the launch "wasn't worth" the loss of Laika's life.

Future missions did bring back the Space Dogs safely. Their names were Belka and Strelka, and one of Strelka's puppies, Pushinka (which means Fluffy) was given to president John F. Kennedy as a gift. Her descendants are still living today.

Laika is a huge inspiration to my art. I think of her, and something inside of me sparks.

She deserves to be remembered fondly. Who is your favorite historical figure? Are they human?