Contents
Yuri Gagarin
Becoming the first human to travel into space.
Vostok 1 · Soyuz backup
- Born
- 9 March 1934
- Birthplace
- Klushino, Russia
- Died
- 27 March 1968
More people
Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut who orbited Earth aboard Vostok 1 in 1961. The flight made him an international figure and marked the beginning of human spaceflight.
Early life
Wartime childhood
Grew up in a farming family and experienced German occupation during the Second World War.
Technical training
Trained in industrial work before learning to fly and entering military aviation.
Career
- 1950s
Air force pilot
Qualified as a military pilot in the Soviet Air Force.
- 1960
Cosmonaut selection
Joined the first Soviet cosmonaut training group.
- 1961
Vostok mission
Completed the first human spaceflight.
- 1960s
Training and public role
Worked with the cosmonaut programme and represented Soviet spaceflight internationally.
Selected work
Vostok 1
Completed one orbit of Earth on 12 April.
Soyuz backup
Served as backup pilot for the first crewed Soyuz mission.
Beyond work
Family
Married Valentina Goryacheva; they had two daughters.
Final flight
Died with instructor Vladimir Seryogin in a training-aircraft crash in 1968.
Sources & photo credit
Life and career ↗Institutional or specialist reference ↗Photo: Александр Моклецов / СовИнформБюро. CC BY 4.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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