Every year on April 12, an international celebration commemorates the anniversary of mankind’s very first entry into space. And this year, George Takei and science fiction legend Ray Bradbury will be part of the local festivities taking place at Griffith Observatory in the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater.
The global annual party is called “Yuri’s Night.” In 1961 Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to escape Earth’s gravity and achieve orbit, in a 108-minute flight. April 12 is also the date in 1981 when NASA launched its first Space Shuttle, Columbia.
This year, 119 parties are scheduled in 32 countries on six continents (Antarctica seems to be excluded). To find one near you, visit www.YurisNight.net and click on “Find a party” in the upper right corner.
The L.A. celebration at the newly renovated Griffith Observatory will begin at 7:00 p.m. Attendance is free of charge, but seating is limited, and shuttle transportation to the observatory costs $8 for adults, $4 for children. Reservations are required — visit www.GriffithObservatory.org right away to make those reservations.
Takei, of course, played “Hikaru Sulu” in the original Star Trek and several incarnations since, and he is presently a recurring player on Heroes. Takei will also perform on the new improv comedy show Thank God You’re Here next Wednesday, April 18 — two days before his birthday.
Bradbury is intimately tied to Star Trek through his friendship with the late Gene Roddenberry (he spoke at his memorial service in 1991), and having once been christened by Nichelle Nichols as an “honorary Enterprise crewman.” He had a ship named after him in “Ménage à Troi” (the U.S.S. Bradbury), and he was mentioned by name in “Far Beyond the Stars.”
Read full details at StarTrek.com
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