Happy First Orbit Day!

On April 12, 1961, Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human being to penetrate Earth's atmosphere. In doing so, Yuri entered into what could truly be called outer space for the first time in human history.

For all its faults and imperfections, humanity's relentless tenacity and ingenuity have helped it survive throughout its history as a species. Equally importantly, these very same qualities will be the ones that will ultimately decide our fate: a future of prosperity, or none at all. Despite our humblest of evolutionary origins and despite our bloodiest of histories, humanity has continued to persevere and push forwards despite the huge odds constantly stacked against it. We weakest, most pathetic of animals have capitalized on our weaknesses and our strengths, combining the two to form a juggernaut so potent that it is even possible that it may, in the not so distant future, gain the ability to control the forces of nature that had once subjugated humanity during its early days.

We are a species with nearly unlimited potential. We are a species which could, if we truly wished, venture out into the stars. We are a species that has continuously defy expectation and do the impossible. We are species that despite being told that we could never sore with the birds, nor share the deep with the fishes, nor venture into the heavens with the moon, achieved all those things anyway simply because we wished to do so. And this is humanity at its best.

On the rare occasion that we rise above our petty differences: our many religions, our many self imposed nationalities, flags, cultures, and most of all, our own egos, humanity has shown that it can, without exception, achieve great things. Yet Gagarin's monumental achievement was not of this sort. If anything, it was actually the exact opposite, one driven by our egos and our nationalism. An achievement greatly hindered by having access to the resources, manpower, and brainpower of only one small sect of humanity.

The question today is not only what can humanity achieve, but what more could it achieve if it could finally overcome these faults and unite as one people. Our future lies not on Earth, but in the deepest depths of space. A future which can never be reached lest we finally unite as one under our many similarities, which outnumber the petty differences which divide us today by so very much more.

To humanity. And to our achievements. And to Yuri Gagarin and the thousands of Soviet scientists and engineers who allowed his revolutionary revolution about the Earth to happen.

Happy First Orbit Day.