April 12 is one of the more significant days in the history of the United States (and not just because it marks the 22 week birthday of one Arianna Macias Cummings). It was on this day that two critical events happened 100 years apart. 150 years ago today the first shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor starting a conflict that would last four years, take over 600,000 lives and end a practice that had stained Thomas Jefferson's famous claim that America was a country where "all men are created equal". As a civil war buff who reads all he can find on it and looks forward to one day taking his daughter to the parks and introducing her to his love of studying the past it is an important day to reflect on the start of the defining event in our nations history.
Ironically, 50 years later another event would occur on the same day that would also radically alter American history as Yuri Gagarin would make his famous first flight in space. Now you might ask yourself how is that significant in American history, a Russian making the first space flight and orbiting the Earth for a little less than two hours? Well, it is widely recognized that Gagarin making the first flight ahead of the Americans spurred President Kennedy to make his famous pledge to go to the moon before the end of the 60's. Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon are one of those "be remembered forever" events. Five hundred years from now people will still talk about that event and it might not have happened when it did but for Gagarin spurring America on with his famous flight. It is also somewhat coincidental but 30 years ago today was the first space shuttle flight and I can still remember often seeing the shuttle at Biggs Air Base in El Paso, Texas where the Plane carrying it back to Florida from California would land to refuel. I may not live to see us go to the moon again or to Mars but in Arianna's life span it is likely she will witness those event. As a history buff days like today are fun times to go back and read articles about the events, as a parent it reminds me of my duty to make sure that Arianna knows her history so she too can appreciate their significance.
Ironically, 50 years later another event would occur on the same day that would also radically alter American history as Yuri Gagarin would make his famous first flight in space. Now you might ask yourself how is that significant in American history, a Russian making the first space flight and orbiting the Earth for a little less than two hours? Well, it is widely recognized that Gagarin making the first flight ahead of the Americans spurred President Kennedy to make his famous pledge to go to the moon before the end of the 60's. Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon are one of those "be remembered forever" events. Five hundred years from now people will still talk about that event and it might not have happened when it did but for Gagarin spurring America on with his famous flight. It is also somewhat coincidental but 30 years ago today was the first space shuttle flight and I can still remember often seeing the shuttle at Biggs Air Base in El Paso, Texas where the Plane carrying it back to Florida from California would land to refuel. I may not live to see us go to the moon again or to Mars but in Arianna's life span it is likely she will witness those event. As a history buff days like today are fun times to go back and read articles about the events, as a parent it reminds me of my duty to make sure that Arianna knows her history so she too can appreciate their significance.
