Google Doodle Marks 50 Years Since Yuri Gagarin Entered Space

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Fifty years ago today, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to enter space.

The folks at Google, who themselves are pioneers in cyberspace, have honored him with a homepage Doodle. On April 12, 1961, Gagarin wedged himself into his Voztok Spacecraft and launched into outer space. He landed safely on Soviet soil 108 minutes later, the first man to orbit the earth. Completing his flight at the peak of the space race, Gagarin achieved international fame and consolidated Russia’s lead in cosmic competitions.

(More on TIME.com: See the greatest adventures of all time)

Today, Google transformed their logo into a space scene, complete with stars and the night sky. The first “O” has been replaced with an astronaut’s (or, in Gagarin’s case, cosmonaut’s) helmet. The second “O” is a launch pad, from which an animated rocket takes off when visitors first enter the page.

Cheers to you, Yuri Gagarin — space travel wouldn’t be the same without you.

(More on TIME.com: See 50 space race highs and lows)