This Day in History - April 12th

1961: First man in space

On April 12 1961, aboard the spacecraft Vostok, Soviet Major Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human being to travel into space. During the flight, the 27-year-old test pilot and industrial technician also became the first man to orbit the planet, a feat accomplished by his space capsule in 89 minutes. The only statement attributed to Gagarin during his historic one hour and 48 minutes in space was, "Flight is proceeding normally; I am well".

Also On This Day

2005

Andrus Ansip becomes the new prime minister of Estonia.

2004

Pakistani opposition leader, Javed Hashmi, is sentenced to 23 years in jail for inciting mutiny in the army, forgery and defamation, having criticised President Pervez Musharraf.

2000

The Queen awards the Royal Ulster Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police, the George Cross.

1997

A bomb plot to kill Pope John Paul II fails as police in Sarajevo find mines under a bridge just hours before his arrival.

1984

Miners' leader Arthur Scargill maintains the miners strike, refusing to ballot members.

1981

In America, the space shuttle Columbia, the first reusable manned spacecraft to travel into space is launched.

1980

Samuel Doe stages a military coup in Liberia.

1975

America withdraws from Cambodia, ending a highly unsuccessfully attempt to prevent the Khmer Rouge take over the country.

1954

In a forerunner to the Rock and Roll revolution in music, Bill Haley & His Comets record “Rock Around the Clock”.

1945

American President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies while in office.

1877

Britain annexes Transvaal, in South Africa.

1861

The American Civil War begins.

1633

The inquisition begins of astronomer Galileo Galilei, for holding the heretical belief that the Earth revolves around the Sun.

1606

The original Union Jack is adopted by Britain.

467

Procopius Anthemius becmoes Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.