Apr 12 1961
From The Space Library
U.S.S.R. announced that Maj. Yuri A. Gagarin had successfully orbited the Earth in a 108-minute flight in a 5-ton Vostok (East), the first man to make a successful orbital flight through space.
President Kennedy, in his regular press conference, stated that "no one is more tired than I am" in seeing the United States second to Russia in the space field. "They secured large boosters which have led to their being first in Sputnik, and led to their first putting their men in space. We are, I hope, going to be able to carry out our efforts, with due regard to the problem of the life of the men involved, this year. But we are behind… the news will be worse before it is better, and it will be some time before we catch up …." USAF Blue Scout II was fired with test equipment for detection of high-altitude nuclear tests.
Announced in Moscow that a new State Committee for Coordinating Research Work was created, to be headed by Lt. Gen. Mikhail V. Khrunichev.
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