When is Yuri’s Night?

The next occurence will be on April 12th, 2025. The last occurence was on April 12th, 2024.

Yuri’s Night

Quick facts
When is it?	Every April 12th
It's also known as:	World Space Party
Tagged as:	Famous People Historical Interest Science & Technology
What are the hashtags?	#YurisNight #WorldSpaceParty
When was it founded?	2000
We first published this page on:	Dec 19th, 2022
We last updated this page:	Dec 11th, 2024

During the 20th century, space travel was considered to be the final frontier for the billions of humans living on Earth. Space exploration included sending humans into space, putting men on the moon, and eventually creating space shuttles and space stations.

This day, also known as the International Day of Human Space Flight, reflects on the progress made in space exploration and its benefits for humanity’s well-being and sustainable development.

One of the most significant accomplishments of the “space race” was when an astronaut became the first human to enter space. But that’s not all!

From Gagarin’s pioneering orbit around Earth to the numerous missions that followed, including the first woman in space, the first moon landing, and the first international space mission, this day celebrates them all!

How to Celebrate Yuri’s Night

Getting on board with Yuri’s Night can bring a wide variety of opportunities for enjoying and celebrating the day. Have fun with some of these ideas:

Host a Yuri’s Night Space Party

Yuri’s Night would be a perfect day to invite some lovers of space to a gathering of friends and family members.

Encourage guests to dress up as astronauts or space creatures, or ask them to wear NASA garb to go along with the space theme.

Serve snacks and desserts that go along with the space theme, such as alien cookies or cupcakes decorated like planets and stars. Don’t forget to play space-themed music or have a showing of a space-themed movie for entertainment!

Watch Some Space Films for Yuri’s Night

Going along with the theme space, Yuri’s Night is a great time to rewatch some classic space films – or perhaps watch them for the first time. Try out some of these movie titles that revolved around the theme of space exploration:

Apollo 13 (1995). Based on a true story, Tom Hanks and Kevin Bacon star in this film centered around an almost-deadly space mission.
The Martian (2015). This film starring Matt Damon takes space exploration to another level when it hypothesizes about travel to Mars.
First Man (2018). This movie tells the story of Neil Armstrong and NASA in the 1960s space program for the historic Apollo 11 mission.
October Sky (1999). Jake Gyllenhaal is one of the cast of this film about rocket science and the Sputnik I part of the space program.

Engage with Space-themed Events

Look for local or virtual events such as workshops, exhibitions, or talks on space exploration. These events can offer new insights and allow you to connect with others who share your interest.

Promote STEM Education

Encourage the younger generation to pursue education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). These fields are crucial for the future of space exploration and offer exciting career opportunities.

Use platforms like Twitter or Instagram to share your passion for space exploration. Use hashtags related to the International Day of Human Space Flight to engage with a community of space enthusiasts.

History of Yuri’s Night

Celebrating the accomplishments of human space travel, Yuri’s Night was named for the first person who ever entered into space, Yuri Gagarin.

Gagarin was a Russian cosmonaut who manned the Vostok 1 spaceship on April 12, 1961. This important event was a vital part of the competition of space travel of that era, particularly between the US and the USSR, with the US eventually landing the first man on the moon in 1969.

Yuri’s Night got its start in 2000 when the idea was thought of by a few supporters of the concept of space exploration.

The day is sometimes also referred to as the “World Space Party” and acts as a way to raise awareness for and increase public interest in space exploration.

The first celebration of Yuri’s night happened in 2001, on the 40th anniversary of the launch of Vostok 1, which was the Soviet space program launched on April 12, 1961. By 2011, the day also began going by its additional name: International Day of Human Space Flight.

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Yuri’s Night