(image on right from the internet someplace?)
April 12, 1961 USSR launches Yuri Gagarin making the first human orbital spaceflight. This is when both countries USA and USSR got real serious on developing human spaceflight capabilities. April 12, 1981 USA launches Space Shuttle making the first reusable spacecraft flight but for nearly 20 years it had no place to go. But the Russians have a space station so both countries teamed up on International Space Station. April 12 becomes the perfect date to celebrate space, technology, art, sciences, and engineering.
I had a couple ballroom dancers from Russia pose with my Yuri poster at a dance studio.
Putin on a tour of new space center: Russia will continue using Kazakhstan’s Baikonur
http://www.startribune.com/world/202649161.html
“Marking the 52nd anniversary of Yuri Gagarin making the first manned space flight, Putin toured the construction site of the Vostochny launch pad in the Far East which is designed to ease Russia’s reliance on its ex-Soviet neighbor. ”
Gagarin’s fateful flight: Russia celebrates the first man in space
http://rt.com/in-vision/cosmonautics-day-2013/
Sites from http://yurisnight.net
Cosmic Nightlife at California Academy of Sciences, April 11
http://www.calacademy.org/events/nightlife/
featuring the Space Cowboys, http://www.spacecowboys.org
 It’s said this area has highest concentration of Russian and post Soviet republic immigrants, here are two from Ukraine. |  Cosmic Nightlife at California Academy of Sciences party winding down. |
 Some of the fans of Space Cowboys |  Me and Space Cowboys DJ with Gagarin posterboard |
After this show Space Cowboys and their fans went to
Space Cowboys Yuri’s Night @ Project One Gallery San Francsico
https://www.facebook.com/events/532543513456297/
Project One Gallery, 251 Rhode Island St., San Francisco
San Francisco Yuri’s Night Russian Pot-Luck Dinner, April 12
https://mcc.yurisnight.net/parties/2136-san-francisco-yuri-russian-pot-luck-dinner
San Francisco
Yuri’s Night Los Gatos, April 12
https://mcc.yurisnight.net/parties/1895-yuri-s-night-los-gatos
Los Gatos
Yuri’s Night Santa Cruz, April 13
http://www.the418project.com/
418 Project, Santa Cruz
Yuri’s Night South Bay Area, April 13
http://www.rainbowmansion.com
Rainbow Mansion, Cupertino
 Having Leninade, a soft drink of “In Soviet Russia...” meme. |  This party is not some drunk fest, everyone are highly educated people, many with advanced degrees. |
 Like last year, met some interesting people like these who are working on Phonesat, scheduled for launch April 19. |  Need to be dressed for space to attend a Yuri’s Night party. |
“LunAzul and the Cosmonauts”
April 12 at Caffe Frascati (Cafe Trieste rebranded) in San Jose, CA
http://www.caffefrascati.com
Space Oddities NightLife, April 12 at California Academy Of Sciences in San Francisco, CA
http://www.calacademy.org/events/nightlife/
Los Gatos Spaces Out for Yuri’s Night
Private party on April 12 in Los Gatos, CA
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Yuri’s Night at Rainbow Mansion
April 14 in Cupertino, CA
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USSR space program posters displayed at Space Walk of Fame Museum in Titusville, FL.
Though we celebrate human spaceflight with Yuri’s name, Sergei Korolev (born in Ukraine) is regarded as the founder of the Soviet space program which under his leadership launched the first satellite and first man into space (that motivated USA to create NASA and the Apollo program). Spaceflight became reality on work by Tsiolkovsky, Goddard, Von Braun and countless others from many countries. For more on Korolev, see http://www.russianspaceweb.com/korolev.html and the book Korolev: How One Man Masterminded the Soviet Drive to Beat America to the Moon, by James Harford 1997 (book cover shown on right is another, a 1990 Soviet publication).
If it wasn’t for the Russians launching the first satellite, there would be no NASA. If it wasn’t for the Russians launching the first man into space (orbit), there would be no Apollo program. If it wasn’t for the Russians continuing their manned space program, there would be no Space Shuttle. If we didn’t partnered with the Russians on the space station, there would be no ISS.
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Russia, USSR, 1984 50 Birth Anniv of Yuri Gagarin, ebay item by dtalesnik_rx
Images scanned from a 1961 Soviet publication on Gagarin’s and Titov’s 1961
spaceflights. Other images from various places.
Yuri’s Night Celebration at Ames Research Center (Ames)
RT’s Gagarin goes to Space Quiz (RT)
Yuri’s night: a small step for man (RT)
http://yurisnight.net/2010/04/yuris-night-wrapup-the-rundown/
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=331202859373
Yuri’s Night at NASA celebrates the spirit of exploration (cnet)
Thousands Turn Out for Yuri’s Night Celebration at NASA Ames
Feedback is desired (suggestions, comments, errors, gripes, whatever) Michael Wright, mfwright @ batnet.com
