UN declares April 12 as International Day of Space Flight
April 8th, 2011 - 10:55 pm ICT by IANSUnited Nations, April 8 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution declaring April 12 as the International Day of Human Space Flight.
The resolution, adopted at a special session Thursday, was initiated by Russia, which celebrates Causmonaut Day April 12 dedicated to man’s historic first flight into space, performed by Russia’s Yury Gagarin in 1961.
“Fifty years have passed since that amazing voyage, but the legend of Gagarin’s courage and journey to the ‘final frontier’ continues to be a source of inspiration for space exploration for peoples and nations around the world,” Kiyo Akasaka, Under-Secretary-General for communications and public information, was quoted as saying on the UN Wwbsite.
A photo exhibit was also opened at the UN headquarters to mark the 50th anniversary of the first human flight into space.
On April 12, 1961, Gagarin blasted into the cosomos aboard the Vostok-1 spacecraft, orbiting Earth in 108 minutes and landing safely near Smelovka village in Russia’s Saratov region.
–IANS/RIA Novosti
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Tags: 50th anniversary, akasaka, fifty years, final frontier, first flight, flight into space, human flight, human space flight, photo exhibit, public information, ria novosti, saratov region, secretary general, snb, space exploration, spacecraft, special session, un general assembly, vostok 1, yury gagarin