The Soviet probe Luna 3 transmits the first-ever photographs of the far side of the Moon.

Luna 3, or E-2A No.1, was a Soviet spacecraft launched in 1959 as part of the Luna programme. It was the first mission to photograph the far side of the Moon and the third Soviet space probe to be sent to the neighborhood of the Moon. The historic, never-before-seen views of the far side of the Moon caused excitement and interest when they were published around the world, and a tentative Atlas of the Far Side of the Moon was created from the pictures.

Луна-3 (14562265547)
Луна-3 (14562265547) (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
1959 CPA 2367
1959 CPA 2367 (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Luna-3 phototelegraph system at Tsiolkovsky State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics
Luna-3 phototelegraph system at Tsiolkovsky State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Luna 3 moon
Luna 3 moon (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Watch: USSR's Luna Programme 1-3: The Dark Side Of The Moon

From the Retro Rockets channel.

Sources and further reading: Wikipedia — Luna 3 (CC BY-SA). Images: Wikimedia Commons.