Today in History: Gagarin's Space Flight and Civil War Start
This AP News retrospective highlights significant historical events that occurred on April 12. The primary focus is on April 12, 1961, when Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit Earth, a milestone that established early Soviet supremacy in the space race before the US moon landing. The article also commemorates the beginning of the American Civil War in 1861, marked by Confederate forces firing on Fort Sumter in South Carolina. Other notable anniversaries include the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1945, succeeded by Harry S. Truman; the recording of Bill Haley's rock anthem 'Rock Around the Clock' in 1954; the declaration of Jonas Salk's polio vaccine as safe in 1955 after extensive trials; the arrest of Martin Luther King Jr. in Birmingham in 1963, during which he wrote his famous letter; and the launch of the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1981, initiating NASA's reusable spacecraft program. The piece serves as a chronological overview of diverse milestones in space exploration, politics, music, public health, and civil rights.
Wire timeline
Today in History: Gagarin's Space Flight and Civil War Start
This AP News retrospective highlights significant historical events that occurred on April 12. The primary focus is on April 12, 1961, when Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit Earth, a milestone that established early Soviet supremacy in the space race before the US moon landing. The article also commemorates the beginning of the American Civil War in 1861, marked by Confederate forces firing on Fort Sumter in South Carolina. Other notable anniversaries include the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1945, succeeded by Harry S. Truman; the recording of Bill Haley's rock anthem 'Rock Around the Clock' in 1954; the declaration of Jonas Salk's polio vaccine as safe in 1955 after extensive trials; the arrest of Martin Luther King Jr. in Birmingham in 1963, during which he wrote his famous letter; and the launch of the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1981, initiating NASA's reusable spacecraft program. The piece serves as a chronological overview of diverse milestones in space exploration, politics, music, public health, and civil rights.
AP News