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Yuri GagarinThe first cosmonaut
Date of Birth: 09.03.1934
Country:  Russia |
Content:
- Childhood and Education
- Military Service
- Cosmonaut Training and Spaceflight
- Post-Flight Activities
- Public Life and Honors
- Legacy
Childhood and Education
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was born on March 9, 1934, in Gzhatsk (now Gagarin), Smolensk Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union. He was the son of Alexei Ivanovich Gagarin, a collective farmer, and Anna Timofeyevna Gagarin. In 1951, Gagarin graduated from Lyubertsy Vocational School No. 10 and Lyubertsy School for Working Youth. He then attended Saratov Industrial Technical School, graduating in 1955. That same year, he graduated from Saratov Aeroclub.
Military Service
In 1955, Gagarin joined the Soviet Army. He served as a fighter pilot in a fighter aviation regiment of the Northern Fleet until 1957. He was qualified as a "Military Pilot 1st Class."
Cosmonaut Training and Spaceflight
In 1960, Gagarin was selected for the Soviet cosmonaut program. On April 12, 1961, he became the first human in space when he orbited Earth in the Vostok 1 spacecraft for 1 hour and 48 minutes.
Post-Flight Activities
After his historic flight, Gagarin served as commander of the cosmonaut detachment from May 23, 1961, to December 20, 1963. He was the backup pilot for Vladimir Komarov on the Soyuz 1 mission in 1967.
Public Life and Honors
Gagarin was a member of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR from 1962 to 1968. He was also a member of the Central Committee of the Komsomol youth organization. He was the head of the unofficial cosmonautics department of the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper. Gagarin was an honorary member of the Finland-USSR Society and the president of the Soviet-Cuban Friendship Society. He received many awards and honors, including the Hero of the Soviet Union, Hero of Socialist Labor, and Order of Lenin.
Legacy
Yuri Gagarin's spaceflight was a major milestone in the history of exploration. He is remembered as a national hero in Russia and his name has been given to many places, including the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, the Gagarin crater on the Moon, and the Gagarin State Technical University of Saratov.
