Waning gibbous moon above the Earth's horizon, photographed from the International Space Station

A view from space. International Day of Human Space Flight

Sixty-one years ago today, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to see Earth from space, with a view likely similar to this image of the waning gibbous moon taken from the International Space Station. With a call of 'Poyekhali!' ('Off we go!'), Gagarin launched into low Earth orbit in his Vostok 3KA spacecraft, making history in less than two hours with a complete trip around the planet. Landing in rural Russia, he became an instant worldwide celebrity—that is, after convincing puzzled locals he was a comrade and not a space alien.

Gagarin's flight dashed NASA's hopes of making an American the first person in space. The Soviets' success quick-fired the space race into high gear, setting the stage for a spate of US spaceflights and eventually the first trip to the moon. 'Yuri's Night' (aka International Day of Human Space Flight) is observed today by astronomy lovers of all nationalities, and is a reminder, in this divided time, of how space exploration can help unite the world. Coincidentally, the first US space shuttle mission launched on Yuri's Night in 1981.