| Yuri's Night | |
|---|---|
 Classic Yuri's Night 'Yurihead' logo (2021—present) | |
| Genre | Space exploration |
| Date(s) | April 12 |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Location(s) | International |
| Inaugurated | April 12, 2001 |
| Website | yurisnight |
| Commemorates flight of Vostok 1 in 1961 | |
Yuri's Night is an international celebration held every April 12 to commemorate milestones in space exploration. It is named for the first human to launch into space, Yuri Gagarin, who flew the Vostok 1 spaceship on April 12, 1961. In 2011, Yuri's Night was celebrated at over 567 events in 75 countries on seven continents.[1] Yuri's Night is often called the "World Space Party".[2] The launch of STS-1, the first Space Shuttle mission, is also honored, as it was launched 20 years to the day after Vostok 1, on April 12, 1981 (although the date of STS-1 is just a coincidence, the launch having had been delayed for two days due to a technical problem).[3]
- ^ "Yuri's Night Event Data". Retrieved October 13, 2018.
- ^ "Darwin's Day to Yuri's Night: some science dates to remember". The Guardian. September 20, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
- ^ "STS-1".