China Was First... As Usual
Nice to know that even though it's more than forty years (!) late, China was first.

China Sends Man Into Orbit, Entering U.S.-Russian Club: "The Chinese assert that they were actually first to try to send a man into space. A 16th-century Ming Dynasty artisan, Wan Hu, held kites in each hand and strapped himself to a chair equipped with rockets, according to some historical accounts carried in the state news media."

Oh, and a colleague here tells me that Chinese media has reported that "thousands of Western spies" have come to China to spy on this morning's launch. Shocking.
- posted by slaughts @ 3:31 PM