Calendar April 12 is Cosmonautics Day. World Aviation and Space Day

From time immemorial, stars have attracted people. Many romantic legends are associated with them, and in the old days they showed the way to lost travelers. A little later, space became one of the popular topics for creating fantastic literary works and all kinds of films.

A huge number of researchers have dedicated their lives to exploring the vast, dark depths. Astronomers, cosmonauts, and physicists are trying to uncover the sacramental secrets that are hidden in the vastness of the Universe. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that, which has been celebrated for more than half a century, the holiday is very popular.

History of Cosmonautics Day

First celebrated in 1962, exactly one year after Yuri Gagarin made the first orbital flight around the globe. It happened April 12, 1961. The journey lasted only one hundred minutes, which went down in history forever and turned the first person to see near-Earth space with his own eyes into a real legend. After that, all the boys dreamed of being like him. They wanted to follow in Gagarin's footsteps and one day shoot for the stars.

Yuri Gagarin's flight was a huge triumph. The whole world celebrated this achievement. Therefore, it is not surprising that the proposal of another cosmonaut German Titov to turn April 12 into a holiday was accepted with enthusiasm and implemented the very next year. Later, this day became not only the day of astronautics.

The International Aeronautical Federation has decided to make it World Aviation and Space Day. This event dates back to 1969. And in 2011 UN General Assembly made a proposal to add some changes to the names of this wonderful holiday. More than sixty countries put their signatures on the resolution, according to which from now on April 12 began to be called International Day of Human Space Flight.

In Russia, 2011 was recognized as the year of Russian cosmonautics. It was a tribute to the respect that contemporaries showed for the exploits of their predecessors on the eve of the fiftieth anniversary of the first space flight in human history.

For our country, this holiday is especially dear, because it was our compatriot Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin who made the first flight into outer space on April 12, 1961. Domestic specialists led by Academician Sergei Pavlovich Korolev worked on the creation of the Vostok launch vehicle. And if Korolev is the founder of practical cosmonautics, then it is imperative to remember what preceded this - the development of theoretical cosmonautics, many scientific studies and discoveries dedicated to space and the place of planet Earth in the cosmic system. And the main figure in this science is also our compatriot Eduard Konstantinovich Tsiolkovsky.

For a long time, the conquest of outer space remained an unattainable goal for humanity. Therefore, the date of the first flight in April became a holiday, when everyone is congratulated on the feat of the space pioneer.

The first flight of man into outer space left a huge imprint on the further development of mankind. Therefore, it is not surprising that Cosmonautics Day is celebrated on April 12 with great pomp. long time was celebrated in the hero’s homeland, and later acquired international status.

Man has always dreamed of the stars, flights and the conquest of the unknown world of space. The stars beckoned, kept secrets and showed the way. The authors of science fiction works tried to predict what is hidden in the mysterious worlds. And the world of scientists made every effort to make space flight a reality. Many states fought for this championship. Therefore, preparations for Gagarin’s flight in the Union were kept strictly secret.

To the joy of millions of Soviet citizens, on April 12, 1961, significant event, which went down in history and later became the date when Cosmonautics Day will be celebrated throughout the world. A Vostok rocket took off into the sky with a man on board. And not just a passenger, but a Russian cosmonaut.

The date of the first flight was postponed several times. The event was originally planned for December, but the tragedy at Baikonur, where a rocket with fuel exploded, forced the date to be moved to spring.

The Union's eternal rivals, the Americans, did not hide their intentions to become the first in space exploration. Work on the launch of the Shuttle was carried out accompanied by a loud advertising campaign.

And the start was publicly announced for May 2, 1961. Therefore, Soviet designers were given a difficult task - to complete the work by any means before May.

And, despite the fact that the reliability of the ship did not exceed 50%, and the first three test flights with dogs ended tragically, a decision was made to launch the rocket with a person on board. The decisive factor was the successful test launch of missiles 5 and 6. Korolev, the head of the space project, was forced to take risks. And the 7th launch was scheduled for April 12 with a man.

The event nevertheless took place earlier than the planned flight of the Americans. It’s hard today to appreciate how much the cosmonaut and the entire team took risks.

And even though the manned spacecraft spent only 89.1 minutes in orbit, and the entire flight was 108 minutes, Yuri Gagarin, thanks to this flight, became a real hero and role model.

In addition to the personal feat of the pilot, great achievements of scientists, designers, military personnel, and backups who took part in this grandiose project were also highlighted. The Soviet Union forever became a pioneer in the field of astronautics, and its successor Russia does not yield to its leading position today.

history of the holiday

Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was born into the simplest family. His father was a carpenter, and his mother worked on a dairy farm. The future cosmonaut was born on March 9, 1934. A joyful event took place in the maternity hospital in the town of Gzhatsk, which was renamed Gagarin in 1968. But the first years of Yuri Alekseevich’s life were spent in the village of Klushino, where his parents were registered.

The Second World War did not bypass Gagarin. He experienced all the horrors of that difficult time, experienced many hardships and managed to survive when his native village was occupied by the Germans. During this period, the boy did not have the opportunity to study. It was only in 1943, when the Red Army managed to push back the Nazis, that he was able to continue his education.

After the end of the war, Gagarin moved to Gzhatsk, where he graduated from the sixth grade of the local school. After this, he entered a vocational school, which was located in Lyubertsy. And in 1951, Yuri Alekseevich moved to Saratov, where he began his studies at an industrial technical school. Already at that time he attended a flying club and was interested in everything related to aviation. During his studies, he flew forty-two hours and twenty-three minutes and achieved very good results.

Gagarin was married and had two daughters, whom he loved very much. Touching photographs in which Yuri Alekseevich is depicted with his children can still be found today on the vastness of the Global Network. And a little later there was a fateful meeting between Gagarin and the famous designer S.P. Korolev, which largely determined his future life.

Contemporaries note that the first cosmonaut in history was an active, cheerful and very hardworking person. He rarely sat idle and was always interested in something. At the same time, he was very sociable, friendly and open.

After the famous flight into space, everyone learned the name of Gagarin. He received many medals and orders and became one of the most respected people in the whole world. But Gagarin was not given a long life. In March 1968, he performed a training flight with Colonel Seregin.

The weather conditions were very difficult, which was the purpose of the training. What happened next remains a mystery that is unlikely to ever be solved. According to the official version, the plane went into a tailspin. The flight altitude was quite low.

As a result, the pilots simply did not have enough time to cope with the situation. The tragedy occurred eighteen kilometers from the city of Kirzhach, which is located in the Vladimir region. At that time, the famous astronaut was only thirty-four years old.

Cosmonautics Day in the Soviet Union was celebrated for the first time the following year. It was the first flight of man around the Earth that became the reason for the establishment of a holiday dedicated to astronautics. The date was approved by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Union.

Decision on establishment world day Aviation and Astronautics was adopted at the 61st conference in 1968, and the date of the celebration remained unchanged - April 12.

In Russia, Cosmonautics Day was included in the list of memorable dates, as stated in the corresponding Federal Law, issued in 1995.

The UN Space Committee, in honor of the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the conquest of space, proposed in 2000. St. George's Night.

The first event, held in 2001, attracted 100,000 space fans. Every year, St. George's Night is held under the auspices of the Space Generation Advisory Council.

Since 2011, April 12 has been approved as the International Day of Human Space Flight. The idea came from representatives of Russia and was supported by 60 countries that are members of the UN.

The initiative to establish Cosmonautics Day in the Soviet Union was taken by Yuri Gagarin’s backup during the first manned space flight, pilot-cosmonaut German Titov. He also proposed, on behalf of the USSR government, to approach the UN with the idea of organizing World Cosmonautics Day.

In November 1968, at the 61st General Conference of the International Aeronautical Federation, it was decided to celebrate April 12 as World Aviation and Space Day. The celebration of this day was confirmed by the decision of the Council of the International Aeronautical Federation, adopted on April 30, 1969, on the proposal of the USSR Aviation Sports Federation.

IN Russian Federation Cosmonautics Day was established as a memorable date by Article 1.1 of the Federal Law of March 13, 1995 “On the Days of military glory And memorable dates Russia."

In September 2000, the UN Space Committee announced the holding of the first international Yuri’s Night in honor of the 40th anniversary of the first manned flight into space, which in 2001 was attended by more than 100 thousand people in 75 countries. The annual event is organized by the Space Generation Advisory Council.

On April 7, 2011, at the initiative of Russia, the UN General Assembly proclaimed April 12 as the International Day of Human Space Flight to mark the 50th anniversary of the first step in space exploration made by Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. More than 60 UN member countries became co-sponsors of this resolution.

In the years since Yuri Gagarin's first flight, about 500 people from more than 40 countries have been in space.

On August 6, 1961, the Vostok-2 spacecraft launched with cosmonaut German Titov on board. His flight lasted more than a day. On August 11 and 12, 1962, Andriyan Nikolaev and Pavel Popovich launched on the Vostok-3 and Vostok-4 spacecraft, and on June 16, 1963, the first female cosmonaut, Valentina Tereshkova, launched.

The next step in the development of domestic cosmonautics was the creation in 1964 of the multi-seat Voskhod spacecraft. The crew of this ship was located in the descent module without spacesuits.

On March 18, 1965, the Voskhod-2 spacecraft was launched, in the design of which modifications were made related to the cosmonaut’s spacewalk, in particular, a folding airlock chamber and an airlock system were created. During this flight, cosmonaut Alexei Leonov walked into outer space for the first time in the world. The time he spent outside the ship was 12 minutes.

In January 1969, during the flight of the Soyuz-4 and Soyuz-5 spacecraft, an experimental orbital station was created for the first time, which became an important step towards the emergence of long-term space expeditions. The flight program included the automatic rendezvous of the two ships, manual mooring and docking, spacewalk and the transfer of cosmonauts Alexei Eliseev and Evgeniy Khrunov to Soyuz-4 with subsequent descent in this ship.

On July 21, 1969, man set foot on the surface of the Moon for the first time. This man was Neil Armstrong, commander of the American spacecraft Apollo 11.

On April 19, 1971, the first multi-purpose Salyut station was launched into low-Earth orbit. On April 23, 1971, the Soyuz-10 spacecraft with its crew was sent to Salyut.

In 1975, the joint experimental flight of the Soyuz and Apollo spacecraft marked the beginning of the development of international cooperation in the field of exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes.

In February 1986, the base unit of the Mir orbital complex was launched into orbit. During the operation of the complex, the technology for medical and biological support of long-term human flights in space was developed and absolute world records were set for the duration of continuous human stay in space flight conditions: Vladimir Titov and Musa Manarov - 366 days, Valery Polyakov - 438 days. The longest flights among women were made by Elena Kondakova in 1994-1995, lasting 169 days, and Shannon Lucid (USA) in March-September 1996, lasting 188 days.
A huge amount of experiments and research was carried out on Mir in all traditional areas of manned space exploration, and several large international programs were implemented. In total, 104 people from 12 countries visited the Mir station, including: the USA, France, Germany, Syria, Japan, Great Britain, Austria, and Canada.

The duration of the cosmonauts' continuous stay on board the Mir station was 3641 days. The Mir station was deorbited and sunk in the Pacific Ocean on March 23, 2001.

In November 1998, with the launch of the Zarya functional cargo block module, created at the State Space Research and Production Center named after M.V. Khrunichev, the creation of the International Space Station (ISS) in low-Earth orbit began. On November 2, 2000, the crew of the first main expedition under the command of William Shepherd (USA) arrived at the ISS on the Soyuz TM-31 spacecraft. From that day on, the ISS became a permanently inhabited station. The crews of the main expeditions, which included Russian cosmonauts and American astronauts, began working on board, replacing each other, for several months at a time.

In February 2013, Dennis Tito, an Italian-American and CEO of the investment company Wilshire Associates, who became the first space tourist on board the ISS in 2001, announced the creation of the Inspiration Mars Foundation, which plans to organize a “historic journey to Mars.” and back" in 2018.

Holiday today

The day, which is dedicated to all astronomers, cosmonauts and scientists working in the space industry and day after day bringing humanity closer to unraveling the sacramental secrets of the Universe, never goes unnoticed. All kinds of thematic and very educational events are held in museums, cultural centers and libraries around the world. Documentary and feature films dedicated to space are shown on television.

Schools host themed cool watch, all kinds of conversations, concerts, creative competitions and sports competitions. The only goal that all these events pursue is to tell the younger generation about that part of history that every person should know, not only in Russia, but throughout the world.

Man was able to overcome gravity. And this opened the way not only to space exploration, but also to the development of other industries. Tsiolkovsky's prophecies about the limitless possibilities of man in space became a reality. The dreams of science fiction writers have also come true.

Now hundreds of satellites and flying stations roam space. Cosmonauts learned to dock ships and go into free space.

Thanks to the exploration of outer space, benefits such as satellite television and the Internet, communications, ultra-precise forecasts and navigation capabilities have become available to humanity. Cosmonautics also contributes a considerable amount to the development of the defense capability of the state and other sectors of the economy.

And let the boys now no longer strive to become astronauts, like their fathers. But space-related professions remain in demand. Therefore, on Cosmonautics Day 2017, all educational institutions will conduct thematic classes, where teachers will talk not only about the significance and prospects of the space field, but also about the feat of a compatriot, which should not be forgotten.

True fans of the complex profession will launch their models or visit showrooms. Or maybe they’ll try to experience a real flight under simulated conditions, or study the starry sky in a planetarium or through a telescope.

And someone, hoping to see real stars and our Earth through the window, to experience weightlessness, will pay a fabulous sum for a future flight. This “exotic” service is becoming increasingly popular. But it is available only to the richest people who are willing to pay for a dream.

Congratulations

On the holiday of cosmonautics, we wish you life’s flights, but only beautiful and safe, high and sublime ones. May your activities be full of discoveries and your mood optimistic. Set yourself up for victories, so let wonderful ideas come to you. Conquer new spaces, and not just comic ones.

For those who are sick of the sky,

On the holiday of April, we wish you,

Find new worlds in space,

And you cannot recognize the attraction of a black hole.

May the stars shine brighter for you,

And the sky will answer you with love,

I wish you the conquest of new orbits,

May life give you happiness.

Man has always strived for the depths of space,

And there is no limit to his dreams.

But enough exploits for our age,

You just need to believe without despair.

The hero flew to his place,

I wasn't afraid of breaking at all,

And inspired my friends

Letting the miracle come true.

And now we every year

We honor the feat of the astronaut,

And we remember that to reach heights

He did it, and it's true.

Now, for example, from March 19 to June 18, 2016, Russian cosmonauts are on the ISS as part of the 47th international expedition Yuri Malenchenko, Alexey Ovchinin and Oleg Skripochka

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Cosmonautics Day is a holiday dedicated to the world's first flight of a Soviet man into space. The celebration is attended by astronauts, engineers and developers of manned technology, support staff, scientists, military personnel involved in defense and reconnaissance space programs, employees of aviation and rocket manufacturing enterprises, students, teachers and graduates of universities related to aerospace engineering and space.
The meaning of the holiday is to honor the memorable date - the first manned flight into space, which took place on April 12, 1961.
On Cosmonautics Day international holiday"St. George's Night", which includes festivals, exhibitions of space technology, scientific conferences and lectures. Space industry workers accept congratulations from top officials of the country and friends and relatives. They are awarded certificates and diplomas. The launch of space rocket models coincides with the holiday.
The content of the article
history of the holiday
Cosmonautics Day was established by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated April 9, 1962. It was initiated by the second Soviet cosmonaut German Titov. Federal Law No. 32-FZ of March 13, 1995 “On the Days of Military Glory and Memorable Dates of Russia” established this holiday and included it among the memorable dates of the Russian Federation.
In 1968, at a conference of the International Aeronautical Federation, Cosmonautics Day received international status and became known as World Aviation and Cosmonautics Day. On April 7, 2011, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution that proclaimed April 12 as the International Day of Human Space Flight.
The holiday is dedicated to the world's first human flight into space on April 12, 1961. Yuri Gagarin became the first cosmonaut.
Holiday traditions
On Cosmonautics Day, St. George's Night is held - an international holiday in memory of Yuri Gagarin. The event includes festivals and exhibitions of space technology, scientific conferences, teleconferences, lectures and discussions. Thematic films are shown in cinemas. Nightclubs host themed parties.
On this day, young designers launch model rockets. The country's top officials officially congratulate space industry workers and present awards and prizes.
The main festive events take place in the capital. The Moscow Planetarium hosts lectures that highlight the history of space exploration and demonstrate the work of the International Space Station. Excursions are organized at the Great Observatory. Those interested can view the Moon and stars in a telescope.
Daily task
Open a star map and look for constellations in the night sky.
- The first animals to go into space were the dogs Belka and Strelka. They flew in August 1960. Turtles were the first to walk on the moon.
- Yuri Gagarin's flight around planet Earth lasted 1 hour and 48 minutes.
- In 1961, after flying into space, Yuri Gagarin went on a “Peace Mission” trip abroad. For two years he traveled across continents and countries of the globe. Presidents and top officials of states considered it an honor to shake hands with an astronaut.
- The first woman in space was Valentina Tereshkova. She flew in 1963 on the Vostok-6 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The flight lasted three days.
- On April 28, 2001, the first tourist, American businessman Dennis Tito, flew into space. He paid $20 million for the trip.
- Astronauts are not recommended to cry in space. In conditions of weightlessness, tears do not flow down the cheeks, but remain in the form of balls on the surface of the eye. This causes unpleasant and painful sensations.
- A crater on the far side of the Moon is named after Yuri Gagarin.
Toasts
“On Cosmonautics Day, I would like to wish you clean and clear skies, cosmic expanses, happiness and inspiration. Let the stars point out the right path to success, let every day please you with new discoveries, steep ascents to the clouds of the innermost dreams of your soul and heart.”
“On this professional anniversary, we congratulate all employees of the space industry, who reveal to us the unprecedented riches of space, introduce us to its greatness and extraordinary beauty, revealing its secrets! May your work be rewarded, and may fate give you a happy and long life!
“Congratulations on Cosmonautics Day! I wish you many star treks and more than one lucky star in the sky that will lead you to success on earth and in outer space. I wish you a flying mood, immense health, incredible discoveries and new absorbing depths of the Universe.”
Present
Projector starry sky. A night light in the form of a starry sky projector will serve as an excellent themed gift for Cosmonautics Day. The projector will fill the room with the mysterious light of the stars and create a magical atmosphere.
Minibar in the shape of a globe. A mini bar in the shape of a globe will be a wonderful themed gift and will decorate your office or living room.
Mini model of the solar system. A mini model of the solar system will serve as an excellent holiday souvenir and will become an unusual decorative element of the interior.
Set of space food. Gift set space food in tubes will serve as an original gift that will make you feel like an astronaut.
Competitions
Walking on the Moon
The props for the competition are fitness balls. Participants are divided into two teams and take turns sitting on fitballs, on which they must cross the room and pass the baton to the next person on the team. The team that completes the task faster wins.
Build a rocket
The competition participants are divided into pairs. Each couple is given a roll of paper towels. The first participant stands with his arms extended upward and palms clasped above his head. The second participant on command begins to wrap it with paper towels. The pair that builds the rocket the fastest wins.
Mars exploration
Participants in the competition are given sheets of paper and a pen. The presenter suggests imagining that they have to move to Mars to explore the planet. On command, participants must temporarily make a list of items that would be useful to them for this. After the time has expired, participants take turns reading out the lists. Repeated words are crossed out. The participant who has the most items in his arsenal wins.
About the profession of astronauts
The profession of astronauts is not a mass one. These people undergo strict selection and intensive training. People of any profession can become astronauts: scientists, pilots, engineers, physicists, doctors, biologists and other specialists. The most stringent requirement is good physical health. General space training takes about 1.5 years, and many cosmonauts have to wait from 5 to 10 years for their first flight.
Often, a spacecraft crew consists of three people, with each member having specific roles and responsibilities. During preparation, a clear plan and schedule for research, testing and experiments to be carried out in outer space is drawn up. The purpose of such activities is to accumulate knowledge, skills and experience to perform complex functions.
This holiday in other countries
Cosmonautics Day, as in Russia, is celebrated on April 12 in more than 75 countries, including the USA, Austria, France, Germany, Japan, Great Britain, Canada and others. Every year more and more countries join this holiday.
In this article we will talk about the next calendar date on which you can make wishes with a high probability of their fulfillment.
This is the "date of three twenties" March 20, 2020- a number that contains three digits "20" and in which day is equal to night, and astronomical winter gives way to astronomical spring (the event is called During the day spring equinox ).
The technology for making wishes on the Day of the Vernal Equinox, March 20, 2020, is extremely simple.
You should cross your fingers(thus joining the intersection of the celestial equator with the ecliptic that occurs on this day) and mentally say your wish.
There are two moments in time at which you can make wishes. The first point is as close as possible to the exact time of the vernal equinox, which occurs on March 20, 2020 at 6:50 "Moscow time". And the second point - at 20 hours 20 minutes 20 seconds local time.
That is, how and at what time to make a wish on the “date of three twenties” 03/20/2020:
...cross your fingers and say a wish...
1. As close as possible to the exact moment of the vernal equinox (06:50 Moscow time).
2. At 20 hours 20 minutes 20 seconds (local time).

On March 18, 2020, a message appeared on the official website of the Eurovision Song Contest about the cancellation of the event this year.
We tell you why the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 was canceled - the reasons why the event was not postponed to a later date late time, were not held without spectators or remotely.

Why Eurovision 2020 was cancelled:
The reason for the cancellation of the popular music event was the uncertainty caused by the spread of a viral infection in Europe called COVID-19 (coronavirus).
Why the date of Eurovision 2020 was not postponed to a later time:
The organizers posted a statement on the official website of the competition, in which they said that they had considered various alternative options holding a competition. This includes the option of holding the competition without spectators, or moving the date to a later time, after the spread of the infection has subsided.
However, the transfer was complicated by the fact that The epidemiological situation in Europe is extremely uncertain, and it is unclear when everything will return to normal. If it is possible to hold a competition, for example, at the end of 2020, the winner will have very little time to prepare for the organization of the next event(which is scheduled to take place in May 2021).
Previously, the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 was planned to be held in the second full week of May: from 15 to 16 May 2020.
Why Eurovision 2020 was not held without spectators or remotely:
Currently restrictions in the Netherlands the number of people who can simultaneously attend public events does not allow Eurovision to be held even in the “without spectators” format.
As for the “remote” format, in this case the organizers will not be able to provide all participants with the same opportunities to demonstrate their talent, which is contrary to the values and traditions of the organization.
Where will Eurovision 2021 be held, in what composition:
Likely to host next year's Popular Song Contest Rotterdam (the second largest city in the Netherlands) will remain after the capital Amsterdam).
The decision will be made by the competition organizers and the leadership of the Netherlands later.
It has also not yet been decided whether the selected participants will be able to perform the submitted songs next year, or whether they will have to compose new compositions. Let us remind you that this year she was supposed to represent Russia at Eurovision 2020 group "Little Big" with the composition "UNO".

What is the essence of the Earth Hour 2020 campaign:
Annually on the last Saturday of March environmental action is being carried out all over the world" Earth Hour", organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
The meaning of the action is in voluntary cessation of consumption electrical energy for one hour. Thus, society realizes the importance of taking measures to reduce the negative impact of human activity on the environment.
This great idea was first implemented in Sydney, Australia in 2007. Then about two million residents of the metropolis took part in the action, and energy savings amounted to about 10%.
Inspired by the example, more and more cities began to join the Earth Hour campaign every year. It is expected that in 2020, residents of more than 7 thousand settlements on our planet (more than 2 billion people) will take part in a voluntary power outage for 1 hour. Of course, among the countries participating in the action is Russia.
What date and time does the Earth Hour 2020 campaign take place:
As we wrote above, the event is held annually on the last Saturday of March, with the exception of those years when the last Saturday in March precedes Easter.
This year's Earth Hour is scheduled for Saturday. March 28, 2020. The promotion will begin at 20:30 local time and will last for an hour, until 21:30.
That is, the Earth Hour 2020 campaign - what date is it held and at what time:
* Date: March 28, 2020
* from 20:30 to 21:30 local time.

The day of April 12, 1961 was marked by the famous phrase of Yuri Gagarin “Let's go!” Later, people would call this day the morning of the space age, which all of humanity entered on April 12. The feat of the first Soviet cosmonaut personifies everything that has been created by the human mind from ancient times to the present day. This flight and the name of the first cosmonaut will forever be inscribed in golden letters.
The flight of Yuri Gagarin was preceded by intense and extensive work aimed at preparing and launching into space the first satellite, the first living creature and, finally, the first spacecraft in automatic mode with a human dummy on board (at Baikonur the dummy was jokingly nicknamed Ivan Ivanovich) followed by returning the descent vehicle back to Earth. For those years, everything was new and new. At that time, no one could say with certainty in advance how the human body would behave in space conditions. Yuri Gagarin had to give answers to the simplest questions, for example, is it possible to use food in conditions of weightlessness. There was no certainty whether the astronaut’s psyche could cope with the flight. The first flight into space was a real feat.
On April 12, 1961, the world's first spacecraft, Vostok, with an astronaut on board, was successfully launched into earth orbit. The launch of the first manned spacecraft in the history of mankind was led by Sergei Korolev, Leonid Voskresensky and Anatoly Kirillov. Citizen became the first cosmonaut pilot Soviet Union pilot-cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. The launch of the multi-stage rocket was successful and, after gaining the required speed and separating from the last stage of the launch vehicle, the spacecraft with a person on board began a free flight in Earth's orbit.
After flying around the Earth, 108 minutes from the moment of launch, the braking propulsion system was activated, after which the spacecraft-satellite began descending from orbit to land. At 10:55 Moscow time, the astronaut successfully landed in the specified area. The landing took place on arable land near the Volga banks near the village of Smelovka, Ternovsky district, Saratov region.
The initiative to establish Cosmonautics Day in our country was first made by Yuri Gagarin’s backup during the first manned space flight - cosmonaut German Titov. It was Titov who also proposed, on behalf of the government of the Soviet Union, to approach the UN with the idea of organizing World Cosmonautics Day. In the USSR, the holiday in honor of the world's first human flight into space was approved on the basis of the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated April 9, 1962. That is, only a year passed from the first manned flight into space until the date of this flight was recognized as a holiday.
In November 1968, at the 61st General Conference of the International Aeronautical Federation, it was possible to make a positive decision to celebrate April 12 as World Space Day. The celebration of this day was confirmed by the decision of the Council of the International Aeronautical Federation, which was adopted on April 30, 1969 on the proposal of the Aviation Sports Federation of the Soviet Union.
On April 7, 2011, the holiday acquired a truly international dimension. As part of a special plenary meeting of the UN General Assembly, it was possible to adopt a resolution that officially proclaimed April 12 as the International Day of Human Space Flight. More than 60 countries became co-sponsors of this resolution.
The hero of the movie "Forrest Gump", sitting on a bench, philosophically remarks that life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what's inside. Yuri Gagarin got a lucky ticket in this life lottery. He turned into a symbol, forever inscribing his name in history and becoming one of the most famous people of the 20th century. Gagarin not only became the first person to fly into space, he was able to return from there alive. In those years he accomplished a real feat. The first cosmonauts, like all the people who worked on the Soviet space program, perfectly understood everything possible risks this first man's flight to the stars.
The most important thing is that he pulled out a lucky ticket not so much for himself, but for all of us. Gagarin did more for the cause of peace than many politicians before and after him. At the invitation of foreign governments and public organizations, Yuri Gagarin visited about 30 countries. He met with presidents and monarchs, with politicians and businessmen, with ordinary workers and peasants, and received the warmest welcome in any society. Even now, space continues to be a place where political differences between states are forgotten, and joint projects continue to be implemented. For example, Roscosmos and NASA are working on a joint “road map” of programs aimed at the future exploration of Mars.
But most of all, Yuri Gagarin did for our country. And although descendants often turn out to be ungrateful, nevertheless, even half a century after the famous flight, Cosmonautics Day in Russia remains one of the most beloved holidays that unites our entire multinational country. There are only two such holidays in Russia - Victory Day and Cosmonautics Day. And if the first of them is a holiday with tears in our eyes, then the second holiday, which opened new horizons for humanity, will always be only positive, personified with the smile of a simple Russian guy - the first Soviet cosmonaut, the first person to be in space, Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin.

After flying around the globe, 108 minutes from the moment of launch, the braking propulsion system was turned on and the spacecraft-satellite began to descend from orbit for landing. At 10:55 a.m. Moscow time, the cosmonaut landed in a given area on arable land near the bank of the Volga near the village of Smelovka, Ternovsky district, Saratov region.

The initiative to establish Cosmonautics Day in the Soviet Union was taken by Yuri Gagarin’s backup during the first manned space flight, pilot-cosmonaut German Titov. He also proposed, on behalf of the USSR government, to approach the UN with the idea of organizing World Cosmonautics Day.

In November 1968, at the 61st General Conference of the International Aeronautical Federation, it was decided to celebrate April 12 as World Aviation and Space Day. The celebration of this day was confirmed by the decision of the Council of the International Aeronautical Federation, adopted on April 30, 1969, on the proposal of the USSR Aviation Sports Federation.
In the Russian Federation, Cosmonautics Day was established as a memorable date by Article 1.1 of the Federal Law of March 13, 1995 “On Days of Military Glory and Memorable Dates of Russia.”

In September 2000, the UN Space Committee announced the holding of the first international Yuri's Night in honor of the 40th anniversary of the first manned flight into space, which was attended by more than 100 thousand people in 75 countries in 2001. Organized by annual event is the Space Generation Advisory Council.

On April 7, 2011, at the initiative of Russia, the UN General Assembly proclaimed April 12 as the International Day of Human Space Flight to mark the 50th anniversary of the first step in space exploration made by Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. More than 60 UN member countries became co-sponsors of this resolution.
In the years since Yuri Gagarin's first flight, many people have been in space.

On August 6, 1961, the Vostok-2 spacecraft launched with cosmonaut German Titov on board. His flight lasted more than a day. On August 11 and 12, 1962, Andriyan Nikolaev and Pavel Popovich launched on the Vostok-3 and Vostok-4 spacecraft, and on June 16, 1963, the first female cosmonaut, Valentina Tereshkova, launched.

The next step in the development of domestic cosmonautics was the creation in 1964 of the multi-seat Voskhod spacecraft. The crew of this ship was located in the descent module without spacesuits.
On March 18, 1965, the Voskhod-2 spacecraft was launched, in the design of which modifications were made related to the astronaut’s spacewalk, in particular, a folding airlock chamber and an airlock system were created. During this flight, cosmonaut Alexei Leonov walked into outer space for the first time in the world. The time he spent outside the ship was 12 minutes.

In January 1969, during the flight of the Soyuz-4 and Soyuz-5 spacecraft, an experimental orbital station was created for the first time, which became an important step towards the emergence of long-term space expeditions. The flight program included automatic rendezvous of the two ships, manual mooring and docking, spacewalk and transfer of cosmonauts Alexei Eliseev and Evgeniy Khrunov to Soyuz-4 with subsequent descent in this ship.

On July 21, 1969, man set foot on the surface of the Moon for the first time. This man was Neil Armstrong, commander of the American spacecraft Apollo 11.
On April 19, 1971, the first multi-purpose Salyut station was launched into low-Earth orbit. On April 23, 1971, the Soyuz-10 spacecraft with its crew was sent to Salyut.

In 1975, the joint experimental flight of the Soyuz and Apollo spacecraft marked the beginning of the development of international cooperation in the field of exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes.
In February 1986, the base unit of the Mir orbital complex was launched into orbit. During the operation of the complex, the technology for medical and biological support of long-term human flights in space was developed and absolute world records were set for the duration of continuous human stay in space flight conditions: Vladimir Titov and Musa Manarov - 366 days, Valery Polyakov - 438 days. The longest flights among women were made by Elena Kondakova in 1994-1995, lasting 169 days, and Shannon Lucid (USA) in March-September 1996, lasting 188 days.
A huge amount of experiments and research was carried out on Mir in all traditional areas of manned space exploration, and several large international programs were implemented. In total, 104 people from 12 countries visited the Mir station, including: the USA, France, Germany, Syria, Japan, Great Britain, Austria, and Canada.

The duration of the cosmonauts' continuous stay on board the Mir station was 3641 days. The Mir station was in the Pacific Ocean on March 23, 2001.
In November 1998, the launch of the Zarya functional cargo block module, created at the State Space Research and Production Center named after M.V. Khrunichev, began the creation of the International Space Station (ISS) in low-Earth orbit. On November 2, 2000, the crew of the first main expedition under the command of William Shepherd (USA) arrived at the ISS on the Soyuz TM-31 spacecraft. From that day on, the ISS became a permanently inhabited station. The crews of the main expeditions, which included Russian cosmonauts and American astronauts, began working on board, replacing each other, for several months at a time.
In February 2013, Dennis Tito, an Italian-American and CEO of the investment company Wilshire Associates, who became the first space tourist on board the ISS in 2001, announced the creation of the Inspiration Mars Foundation, which plans to launch in 2018.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

Audio fragments provided by Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Firm Melodiya":

"You know what kind of guy he was." Performed by Yuri Gulyaev, 1971

"I believe, friends." Performed by Georg Ots, 1962

"Grass near the house". Performed by VIA "Zemlyane" soloist Sergei Skachkov, 1983

"In the distant constellation Tau Ceti." Performed by Vladimir Vysotsky. 1967