April 12 Birthday
April 12, 1961: Yuri Gagarin, a 27-year-old Soviet Air Force pilot, climbed into Vostok 1 and launched into orbit. He circled the Earth once, in 108 minutes, and became the first human to fly in space and the first to see the planet from above. He did not control the spacecraft — the Soviets were unsure how a human would handle weightlessness, so Vostok was automated. Gagarin's "Let's go!" cry as the engines ignited became a catchphrase of the Soviet era. He died in a training crash at 34. People born on April 12 fall under the zodiac sign of Aries. The birthstone is Diamond and the birth flower is Daisy. Historical events on April 12 include 1861: Civil War begins at Fort Sumter, 1961: Yuri Gagarin becomes first human in space, 1981: First Space Shuttle launched. Famous people born on April 12 include Tom Clancy (1947), David Letterman (1947), Claire Danes (1979).