April 12th- A Date for the World to Remember

Today marks 50 years since Yuri Gagarin was launched on the flight that made him the first man in space, and the first man to orbit the earth.  This famous flight sparked the space race.  It wouldn’t end for another 14 years.  After his voyage, Yuri became known around the world for his heroic flight. Sadly, he died during a training mission in 1968, only 7 years after his historic spaceflight.

THe Vostok 1 (Yuri Gagarin's capsule)

Yuri Gagarin

April 12th, 2011 is also the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War.  It started with the Confederate army attacking Fort Sumter.  Abraham Lincoln was the president during the war, and he issued the Emancipation Proclamation.  It is the famous document that freed the slaves.  The leader of the south was Jefferson Davis.  The war ended in 1865.