12 April - Space Day!

Most people will be aware that today, 12th April 2011, is the 50th anniversary of man going into space. Yuri Gagarin was the man and he made a brief trip into 'outer space', completing an orbit of the earth in his russian spaceship, Vostok 1. Sadly Gagarin died seven years later in a plane crash.

Gagarin looking well chuffed

But, did you know that today is also the 30th anniversary of the first space flight of a Space Shuttle? Indeed, the shuttle Columbia blasted off into space for the first time. Like Gagarin, it came to a sticky end, burning up on re-entry in 2003 at the end of its 28th mission.

Columbia blasts off in 1981

But, keeping the space connection going, today is the 74th anniversary of the first test of a jet engine by Sir Frank Whittle. The ground test took place at Rugby and paved the way for jet propulsion, the technology that would eventually facilitate space flight. How about that!

Sir Frank - just a hint of a well-deserved smile

And the space theme is completed - very obliquely - as it is also the anniversary of the recording of 'Rock Around the Clock' in 1954 by... Bill Haley & His Comets. Alright, I know this one hardly counts but think about it - comets - space - it sort of works. By the way, just to clear it up - Bill Haley was his real name and the band's name was inspired by the mispronunciation of Edmond Halley's name (as in Halley's Comet).

See the space connection now?

By the way, for those just too young to understand - 'Rock around the Clock' is widely considered as the first rock & roll hit, paving the way for rock music to become the dominant popular music of its day. Lesson over.