Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences

April 12 is World Aviation and Cosmonautics Day. On this day in 1961, Yuri Gagarin, a citizen of the Soviet Union, went into orbit for the first time. The astronaut, who went into orbit with the Vostok spacecraft, orbited the Earth in 1 hour and 48 minutes and successfully landed in the Saratov region of Russia. By the decision of the Supreme Soviet of the former USSR dated April 9, 1962, April 12 was declared the World Aviation and Cosmonautics Day. Today it is celebrated by many countries.

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