Yuri’s Night is an international celebration held on April 12 every year to commemorate two separate space exploration milestones. The first was the launch of the first human into space, Yuri Gagarian, on April 12, 1961. The second milestone was the launch of the first U.S. Space Shuttle, the STS-1, on April 12, 1981.

People celebrate Yuri’s Night in more than thirty countries in hundreds individual events. Locations include Los Angeles, Stockholm, the Sand Francisco Bay Area, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, and on the International Space Station.

To learn more, visit the official Yuri’s Night website.