It was 50 years ago today...
Technorati tags: Science, Space, Yuri Gagarin, Anniversary, Space Exploration
Not, it wasn't the day Sgt Pepper told the band to play, but something that would become a milestone for humankind. Today in 1961 Yuri Gagarin became the first man to orbit the Earth.
This would pave the way for further space exploration, an era of mankind that we're still in today. Granted we're still at an infantile stage of exploring the vastness of space, but it was Gagarin who made the first baby steps, half a century ago today.
108 minutes that stunned the world: Russia honours Gagarin
But half a century after his exploit captured the world’s imagination and fuelled a space race with the United States, Russia has found it necessary to release top secret archives to counter persistent rumours that Gagarin was later murdered on the orders of jealous or paranoid Soviet rulers.
The 27-year-old’s single Earth orbit on April 12, 1961 was one of the Soviet Union’s most enduring Cold War victories and is proudly remembered today, especially in the cosmonaut town that is the heart of the nation’s space programme.
