today in history

april 12, 1961, a young russian named yuri alekseyvich gagarin was strapped into a tin can known as vostok 1 and launched into orbit. he had this to say about being the first human being to leave the planet:
"Circling the Earth in the orbital spaceship I marvelled at the beauty of our planet. People of the world! Let us safeguard and enhance this beauty - not destroy it!"