The Timeline since the First Successful Mars Mission:

1965-1976

After several of these unsuccessful missions, the Mars exploration program tasted success for the first time in July 14, 1965, when Mariner 4 flew by Mars – around 9,650 kilometers of the planet. The spacecraft was the first to take close-up photos of Mars’ surface – reportedly, about 21 photos of the planet were sent back to Earth at the time. Though the mission was successful in 1965, Mariner 4 was launched on November 28, 1964.