The UN General Assembly proclaimed April 12 as the International Day of Human Space Flight. The same date is celebrated by another organization, the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, as World Aviation and Space Day. In Russia, this holiday is called Cosmonautics Day and is celebrated on the same day. In 1961, on the twelfth of April, a spaceship was launched with a man on board. "Go!" – this was Yuri Gagarin’s short exclamation before the start. The first inhabitant of the Earth to find himself in outer space and spend less than two hours in it, or rather 108 minutes. The astronautics pioneer was a citizen of the USSR; the aircraft was launched from the territory of the Soviet Union, from a cosmodrome located in Kazakhstan, from Baikonur. The initiative to establish a memorial day in the Soviet Union was put forward by German Titov, Gagarin’s backup, who would have to fly out in case of any unforeseen circumstances. The same pilot-cosmonaut approached the government with the idea of ​​proposing to the United Nations to take the holiday to the international level. But within the UN, the date received world status only in 2011 on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the flight. The holiday is considered professional for many specialists. The flight went completely smoothly, on schedule, without any collisions. The braking propulsion system worked in time, the descent was carried out in a given square of a given area, which, under the conditions of the first space flight and enormous distances, was a significant achievement. Behind all these successes was the work of many flight participants and their well-coordinated teamwork. The person who first saw the pioneering cosmonaut land was a five-year-old girl, Rumiya Nurskanova. Carrying out a completely prosaic order from his grandmother, the child planted potatoes that April day. This happened in the Saratov region, a few kilometers near the village of Smelovka. When something unusual began to happen overhead, strange objects appeared (and it was a capsule being lowered under a giant parachute), Rumiya tried to attract the attention of her grandmother. “Don’t be distracted,” the elderly woman ordered and continued her farming. The landing took place, and a humanoid creature in bright orange clothes emerged from the huge ball. The grandmother had to stop planting, grab the girl and begin to escape; the woman was very scared and began to pray. “Mommy, yours!” - the guest who descended from heaven shouted to them. When the first fear and surprise passed, the cosmonaut was helped with heavy, uncomfortable clothes, unfastened the clip of the pressure helmet and was offered to drink milk, straight from the can. The girl, whose name Yuri Alekseevich did not catch and called her Rita, told this story every year on Cosmonautics Day. Since then, Rumiya has asked everyone to address herself as Rita. And every year on April 12, in that same field, I planted potatoes not for the sake of root crops, but in memory of the April day of 1961. The field was named Gagarinsky, now a memorial with a Gagarin monument in the center of the composition has been built next to it.

On April 12, 1961, man flew into space for the first time. He became a military pilot of the third class, senior lieutenant Yuri Gagarin, a citizen of the USSR. The Vostok-1 spacecraft launched at 9.07 am from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Having completed one revolution around the planet, Yuri Gagarin returned safely to Earth. An event of this magnitude resonated throughout the world. The UN General Assembly in 1968 decided to consider April 12 a holiday - the International Day of Human Space Flight. In the USSR, this holiday had a different name. On the initiative of German Titov, a colleague of Yu. Gagarin, April 12 became Cosmonautics Day. Researchers, technology development engineers, military personnel, and specialists from rocket manufacturing and aviation enterprises participate in preparations for orbital flights. They, along with cosmonauts, celebrate their professional holiday on April 12. The sky has beckoned people for many millennia. Astronomers studied celestial bodies, stars and comets, and their interactions. The ancient Greeks called the system of the universe, the universal order and structure of life kosmos. This word appeared in Russian language dictionaries in 1861. 100 years later, man flew into space for the first time. Before this, there was a landing on the Moon in 1959 by a Soviet interplanetary station. These events were followed by other milestones in the development of near-Earth orbit: • 1963 - the flight of the first female cosmonaut V. Tereshkova; • 1965 - A. Leonov’s exit from the spacecraft into open space; • 1969 - the first spacecraft flight to the Moon "Apollo 11" from the USA with 2 astronauts on board;• 1970 - landing of a satellite on Venus;• 1971 - descent to the Red Planet of the Soviet apparatus "Mars-3";• 1971 - launch of a manned station into orbit "Salyut"; • 1977 - flight of 2 NASA Voyager spacecraft, which took photographs of planets of the solar system and their satellites distant from Earth; • 1984 - first exit from the spacecraft of female cosmonaut S. Savitskaya; • 1986 - start of operation of the Mir orbital station, built on a modular principle;• 1990 - entry into orbit of the "eye of humanity" - the Hubble telescope;• 1998 - launch of the International Space Station;• 2019 - landing on the Moon of the Chinese apparatus "Chang'e-4". In orbit, astronauts conduct experiments that are unthinkable under the conditions of Earth's gravity, collect information about space objects and repair the ISS. After Yuri Gagarin, 564 people from 40 countries have been in space. The activities of these brave people and professionals bring great benefits to the inhabitants of the Earth. After Gagarin's flight, the name "Yuri" became one of the most popular in the USSR. Civil registry offices began to register boys twice as often, whom their parents called the first cosmonaut in the world. After 2 years, newborn girls began to be given the name “Valentina” in honor of Tereshkova. These facts indicate the extraordinary popularity of the astronaut profession. Pilots who were in the uppermost layer of the atmosphere and rose above the Earth to an altitude of 450 km or more were considered celestials. They were proud to meet them; the arrival of astronauts in any country or city became an event of historical proportions. Educational institutions and libraries, streets, boulevards and city squares, craters on the Moon and oases in Antarctica were named in their honor. In order to get into the Soviet cosmonaut corps, it was necessary to go through a strict selection process. Preparation for a flight into Earth orbit consisted of regularly performing a set of exercises and stress on the body that even professional athletes could not endure. The astronauts knew about the technical imperfections and shortcomings of the ships, but still went on flight. Thus, pilot Vladimir Komarov, a friend of Yu. Gagarin, died at the age of 40 during the descent of Soyuz-1 in April 1961 due to a failure of the parachute system. Putting a spacecraft into Earth orbit both 60 years ago and today, despite the high level of development of science and technology, is associated with a risk to life. Paying tribute to the feat of Yuri Gagarin, the whole world celebrates April 12 International Day of Human Space Flight - International Day of Human Space Flight.

International Street Children's Day, celebrated on April 12, was created by CSC, a group of street children researchers and activists from 135 countries. It is designed to draw public attention to the problems faced by children around the world who are left without supervision and proper care. The problem has not spared any country, including developed ones. But it is especially acute in third world countries. According to various estimates, today there are 100-150 million street children in the world. It is difficult to obtain accurate data due to the fact that a significant number of such children do not have and have never had documents, and their birth is not recorded anywhere. Living on the street or simply without the participation of prosperous adults causes them irreparable damage, often ending in early death. The problem of neglected children is inextricably linked to poverty, physical and sexual abuse. It is these reasons that lead to girls and boys losing their family and home, spending their days and nights in unsafe spaces: abandoned buildings, train stations, parks, public transport stops. There they are exposed to additional risks and forced to fight for survival. Street children cannot realize their basic rights:• the right to a safe living environment, freedom from persecution and assault;• the right to access healthcare;• the right to education;• the right to access justice in case of harm. Boys and girls who find themselves in difficult life circumstances become victims of crime and are subjected to exploitation and violence of various types. They are forced to work hard, beg for food or look for it on their own, and are malnourished. Children and adolescents who survive in such conditions often become dependent on drugs or alcohol, and subsequently increase the number of antisocial elements and criminals. Since 2019, the CSC organization has been conducting the “4 Steps to Equality” campaign. This action calls on governments around the world to take action to protect children. According to the organizers, to solve the problem of street children, it is necessary to take 4 steps: • strive for universal equality; • protect every child; • provide all children with access to the services they are entitled to; • develop specialized solutions for various problems.

On April 12, citizens of Kazakhstan celebrate the Day of Science Workers, because thanks to their selfless work, big and not so important scientific discoveries occur every day. The tradition of congratulating eminent and just beginning scientists appeared only in 2012, after the corresponding instructions from President Nursultan Nazarbayev. The head of state considers the development of science at the national level to be one of the priorities, therefore the first celebration of Science Day in Kazakhstan coincided with the implementation of the law “On Science”. In accordance with this law, an increase in funding for scientific activities is provided. On this day, in 1899, the famous Kazakh scientist Kanysh Imantaevich Satpayev, famous throughout the Soviet Union, was born. Having devoted his entire life to science, in particular geology, K.I. Satpayev made an important discovery on an all-Union scale. In 1946, he not only headed the Academy of Sciences of the KSSR, but became its first president. In memory of this great man, who was not only a great scientific figure of that time, but also an honest, fair leader. In 1951, Kanysh Imantaevich fell into disgrace because he refused to fire some scientists pointed out by the party. The result of this reckless act was the dismissal of Satpayev from the post of president of the Academy of Sciences. Our scientists are the strategic potential of the country and one of the government’s tasks is to prevent their outflow outside Kazakhstan. To do this, scientific activity needs to be made prestigious and better paid. On April 12, the current president of the Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan congratulates his colleagues, and especially distinguished scientists are presented with awards and prizes. The most prestigious is the State Prize in the field of science and technology; in addition, there are awards named after. K.I. Satpayev and other outstanding Kazakh scientists.

The human brain does not stop working even during a night's rest. The mind continues to control the thought process at the border between REM sleep and wakefulness. In this altered state of consciousness, we have the opportunity to control the world of dreams: to compose a plot and, realizing our plans, change the script during the action. In honor of this inexplicable and unstudied phenomenon, a holiday was established - International Lucid Dreaming Day. On April 12, Russia and other countries celebrate International Day of Lucid Dreaming. Scientists associate an unusual state during a night's rest, when the mind creates a situation that is a reflection of a person's thoughts, fantasies, memories and everyday worries, with a desire to solve accumulated problems. Out-of-body dream experiences began to be studied in the second half of the 19th century. psychiatrist and writer Frederik van Eeden from Holland. It was he who coined the term “lucid dreaming” (Dutch - lucide droom). In parallel with him in England, Frederick W.X. Myers founded the Society for Psychical Research to study this phenomenon. Experimental confirmation that the brain can control phantasmagoric reality in the form of a lucid dream was received in 1975 by parapsychologist Keith Hearn from Great Britain. Volunteer Alan Worsley helped the scientist work on his dissertation at the universities of Liverpool and Hull. Over the course of a year, he spent 45 nights in the sleep laboratory under the supervision of Dr. Hearn. During this time, Worsley had 80 visions in which the electrooculogram showed marks of rapid eye movement (REM), which he produced during the stage of lucid dreams. They, as later studies showed, are remembered by 85% of people who awakened during the GD phase. After decades of research, scientists have gained the understanding that a person gains the ability to control the world of dreams during REM sleep. At this stage, nightmares are overcome, incredible adventures are experienced, and other out-of-body experiences are obtained. A lucid dream helps to work through existing phobias and find solutions to problems that exist in real life. Mastering this practice is the first step towards astral travel and penetration into the depths of the subconscious. Why the brain does not let go of the reins even at night, giving us the opportunity to take control of sleep, is not entirely clear. However, another reality, or the “subtle world,” beckons many. The ability to induce lucid dreams can be developed. To do this, you should rest at least 6 hours at night, stabilize your emotional state, and avoid taking alcohol and drugs. They reduce a person’s level of awareness, and, consequently, their control of consciousness. It is necessary to keep a dream diary and write down in it after waking up the scenes you saw and the emotions you experienced. International Lucid Dreaming Day is celebrated by professionals in many countries around the world. Psychotherapists use lucid dreaming to treat depression, phobias and post-traumatic disorders in patients. Coaches recommend this practice to their students to work out ways to achieve their goals. In recognition of the importance of the lucide dream state, April 12 is celebrated as International Day of Lucid Dreaming.

On April 12 (according to the old calendar style - March 30), people celebrate the day of Ivan the Climacus. This event takes its name in honor of St. John Climacus, abbot of the Sinai Monastery, whose memory is honored on this date by Orthodox believers. John's life began in Constantinople at the end of the 6th century. At the age of 16, the young man became a monk and spent about 20 years in obedience to his mentor. After the death of his mentor, John went into the desert and lived there for 40 years in complete silence, fasting and prayers to the Lord. Then the monk was appointed mentor of the monastery on Mount Sinai, where John spent his last years. During his life, the saint wrote “The Ladder” (translated as “Ladder”), which describes the path of 30 steps of beneficence to spiritual perfection. People used to make small ladders from sweet dough for Ivan the Climacus and bake them in the oven. They were preparing with the goal of going to heaven after death. The number of stairs was equal to the number of family members, and there were 12 steps, corresponding to the months of the year. If one of the steps burned during the baking process, it meant that the month in the household was foreshadowed to be unsuccessful. “Ladder” cookies were blessed in the church and treated to relatives. Children threw their treats high into the sky and competed among themselves: whoever flies the highest will be lucky. But it was important to be able to catch the ladder, since a broken step in it meant trouble in a certain month. There was a belief that the brownie of Ivan Climacus should get engaged to a witch. For this reason, he was in a bad mood: he threw dishes off the tables, knocked and made noise at night. Residents tried to protect their properties from the mischief of the newly-made couple, which is why they avoided going out on this day. In order not to let evil spirits in, they locked the doors to the hut and barn, and did not let the cattle out for a walk. According to signs on Ivan Climacus, they watched what was happening in order to know the future. Dandelion blossoms heralded early autumn. If they saw that the birch had released its leaves before the alder, the residents expected a rainy summer. The flight of bees from the hives meant the onset of real heat. The flowering of cherries was used to determine the sowing period for corn and beets.

April 12 is World Hamster Day, a fun holiday for lovers and admirers of these cute rodents. What do we know about hamsters? Besides the fact that these animals are great companions for both children and adults? According to the biological classification, hamsters are a subfamily of rodents from the hamster family, in which they coexist with voles and muskrats. The animals have a dense body, small ears, a short tail, small paws and beady eyes. Such a sweet appearance turned them from wild animals that spend most of their lives in minks into pets. They love to have hamsters not only in Russia, but also in the USA and a number of Western European countries. Hamsters have very poor eyesight. They are nearsighted and also color blind. They compensate for poor vision with acute hearing and a good sense of smell. Hamsters are crepuscular animals that emerge from their burrows between the end of the day and the onset of night. They don’t need good vision in such conditions. There are more than 15 species in this subfamily, but the most popular among them is the Syrian or golden hamster, which often becomes a pet. It has a very narrow habitat. He lives only in western Syria. All those hamsters that live in homes and laboratories today come from just one litter of 12 individuals. Professor Aharoni managed to obtain it back in 1930. The animals raised at home have multiplied. Some of them were taken to Great Britain and it was from here that hamsters began their conquest of the world. In the wild, they are most often found in steppes and forest-steppes, although they never disdain to settle next to humans, because then the animals have a constant source of food. A distinctive feature of these animals is the cheek pouches in which they store food. Why do hamsters need supplies? The fact is that hamsters do not hibernate. When cold weather sets in, it is very difficult to get food, but you need to eat something. That's when the golden time for stocks comes. There are legends that one small animal can “hammer” tens of kilograms of food for the winter. Although he can't eat it all. In this, hamsters are similar to squirrels, which also store up for future use, and then do not eat even half of them during the winter. The largest among the subfamily is the common hamster. The weight of an adult can reach 400 grams. The smallest is Roborovsky's hamster. Its weight is only 10 grams, and its body length is 4-5 cm. Females are usually larger than males. They raise their offspring alone. In the wild, hamsters dig burrows with one "room", several corridors and sometimes a storage room. The complex architecture of hamster housing is a common myth. Domestic hamsters, like wild ones, are very shy. Stories that an animal died of fright are not myths, but a harsh reality. A hamster can actually die from cardiac arrest, for example, due to a very loud sound. In the wild, these animals can behave aggressively if they are threatened. Some will not even be afraid to attack a person. In fact, a hamster can bite through the skin. The animals feed mainly on plant foods. They prefer root vegetables, berries, legumes and cereals, fruits, and vegetables. In rare cases, rodents can prey on small lizards and frogs, and large insects. In this way, they add variety to their diet and make up for the lack of protein. To get to the grain, wild hamsters bend tall stems to the ground. They love corn, oats and wheat. Sometimes hamsters eat peas and sunflower seeds. These animals are excellent swimmers. Before jumping into the water, they draw air into their cheek pouches and use them as a float. In the wild, hamsters have many enemies. They are hunted by foxes, badgers and stoats. Quite often large birds of prey start hunting animals.

World Festival of Oatmeal

Orthodox holidays on April 12:

Memorial Day of St. John the Silent

Memorial Day of the Holy Prophet Joad

Memorial Day of St. Sophrony, Bishop of Irkutsk