U.S., Russia celebrate first human in space 50 years later

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the first human in space, according to CNN.

On April 12, 1961, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin Vostok blasted off from the steppes of Soviet Kazahstan and spent 108 minutes completing the first ever orbit of the Earth before landing back on Soviet soil. Gagarin's orbit added fuel to the fire of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States.

Fifty years later, a film shot from the International Space Station recreating the April 12, 1961 orbit is being broadcast on YouTube and Google is paying tribute by illustrating its logo with a space-travel theme.

Russians flocked to a space exhibition in Moscow that features a replica of Gagarin's capsule. NASA also payed tribute to the journey, saying that Gagarin's flight pushed the boundaries of science and engineering.

"There always has to be the first," said former NASA astronaut Thomas Stafford. "And at the time, you know, there was a big competition. I would say here today that without Yuri Gagarin flying, I would probably have not flown to the moon."

Gagarin was killed in a plane crash in 1968.