Cosmonautics Day

April 12 has been celebrated as Cosmonautics Day since 1961 when Yuri Gagarin, a regular Russian guy who had been born in a small village near Smolensk, became the first human being launched into outer space. 68 minutes spent by him in cosmos changed our life forever and opened the new era in mankind's history and development.

Yuri Gagarin was major of Soviet Air Forces. In 1961 he was only 27. His charming smile, his simplicity and his last phrase before the launch "Here we go!" will be never forgotten.The spacecraft "Vostok" that took Yuri Gagarin to the Earth orbit had been constructed by Ukrainian academic Sergey Korolev.

Sergey Korovel is a graduate of Kiev National Technical University that is named after him till now. I am proud of being a graduate of the same University. Korolev is considered to have been at the very sources of spacecruft and missle engineering. He was a genious who died at the age of 54 because of his misunderstandings with government.

Gagarin's death is still a mystery. According to the official sources, he died as a result of the air crash of his MIG 15. However, how could we be sure of that, if he had piloted that plane for many years and was a perfect pilot?!

After Gagarin's flight, both of them were at the top of fame and world's recognition , they both were intelligent enough to disagree with the USSR's policy and thought they had had some influence on it. As a result, they both died young. It is for you to decide why.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko9zgw7yZTk&feature=player_detailpage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umY92y25DrA&feature=player_detailpage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV32c-yw2Wk&feature=relmfu

James, thanks for your comments. I am sincerely glad that some people are still interested in history. I've posted that comment not to say that Russia or Ukraine was the best. You should have known how many people had died before Gagarin returned alive! America was not the first because it has never undertaken any experiments on alive people contrary to the USSR where any single person was worth nothing. The USA is my second motherland that accepted me as equal and treated me perfectly well. It was my decision to move out but I am still an American citizen and am planning to return to my lovely Florida in a year or so. However, the day when Gagarin was launched and returned alive is still considered by NASA as a memorable day. Have you ever thought that the first launch of Shuttle on April 12 was not a poor chance?

To summarise what I have said today, the nationality, policy, religion are of no matter if we speak about the greatest achievements of mankind

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Comments

James Shin April 13, 2011 13:36

Hi, Taya!

Regarding your question 'Have you ever thought that the first launch of Shuttle on April 12 was not a poor chance?', you sounded like it might/could be a poor chance or it was definitely poor. If so, please tell me what you really think, or the facts of this case which was exactly happened in truth. Perhaps your summarized one for me may be the answer then.
Syubidupapap April 12, 2011 4:43

Google is celebrating this day ^^
Tanya April 11, 2011 15:36

Thanks, Deu!
Tanya April 11, 2011 15:34

James, thanks for your comments. I am sincerely glad that some people are still interested in history. I've posted that comment not to say that Russia or Ukraine was the best. You should have known how many people had died before Gagarin returned alive! America was not the first because it has never undertaken any experiments on alive people contrary to the USSR where any single person was worth nothing. The USA is my second motherland that accepted me as equal and treated me perfectly well. It was my decision to move out but I am still an American citizen and am planning to return to my lovely Florida in a year or so. However, the day when Gagarin was launched and returned alive is still considered by NASA as a memorable day. Have you ever thought that the first launch of Shuttle on April 12 was not a poor chance?

To summarise what I have said today, the nationality, policy, religion are of no matter if we speak about the greatest achievements of mankind
deuce666 April 11, 2011 15:24

We always celebrate this day in Ukraine. I remember celebrating it since I was a schoolgirl. It's a day of great importance. For those who know nothing about this event, it would be very interesting to read this blog :)
James Shin April 11, 2011 14:48

Hi, Tanya!

I appreciate your comment in reply and I utterly agree to the fact of the worldwide greatest achievement of the 20th century.

As Russia & some other countries celebrate this day as Cosmonautics Day (On April 12, 1961, Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel in space, when he was launched on the historic "Vostok 1" flight. The first flight of the Space Shuttle took place on April 12, 1981. The Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-1) blasted off on its historic mission on the 20th anniversary of Gagarin's groundbreaking flight), perhaps Americans may also celebrate this day for NASA(National Aeronautics and Space Administration) as with the astronauts, but many other countries don't see this day as a holiday, unfortunately.
Tanya April 11, 2011 13:31

Dear James! I think it is not just my country's holiday. It is the day when we got the idea about our being able to fly and getting some knowledge about Universe. It was one of the greatest achievements of the 20th century.
Tanya April 11, 2011 13:23

Syubi, I mean that he hadn't been known before his flight. He was just the one of us, he was not outstanding or genious, and he remained that way till his death. A great man, Yura!
Syubidupapap April 11, 2011 13:18

Hmm, what do you mean with "Yuri Gagarin, a regular Russian" Tanya? Are there any unregular Russian?
James Shin April 11, 2011 12:59

Hi, Tanya

Thanks for sharing your country's memorable day with us!

I've learned something new, as I don't know much about the splitted countries after USSR's Downfall since 1990:

Yuri's Night as Cosmonautics Day is an international celebration held on April 12 every year to commemorate space exploration milestones.

So it will be your day off tomorrow, haha!

I hope you will have a good day!

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