Cool facts about yuri gagarin biography

Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut who became the first human in space. In 1961, he orbited Earth aboard the Vostok 1 space capsule, the first-ever crewed spacecraft. As a result, he became an international celebrity and received many awards for this achievement, both within and outside the Soviet Union.

Vostok 1 was Gagarin's only spaceflight. He was on the backup crew for the Soyuz 1 mission but wasn’t allowed to go to space after that mission ended in a fatal crash because officials worried that Gagarin, a national hero, would be killed. Though he was eventually allowed to continue flying regular aircraft, he died five weeks after being cleared to fly again, when his flight-training airplane crashed. The exact cause of the crash is still unknown.

Related: Yuri Gagarin on Vostok 1: How the 1st human spaceflight worked (infographic)

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Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was born on 9 March 1934 in the village of Klushino near Gzhatsk (now in Smolensk Oblast, Russia).

His parents, Alexei Ivanovich Gagarin and Anna Timofeyevna Gagarina, worked on a collective farm. Yuri was the third of four children, and his elder sister helped raise him while his parents worked.

After starting an apprenticeship in a metalworks as a foundryman, Gagarin was selected for further training at a technical high school in Saratov. While there, he joined the 'AeroClub', and learned to fly light aircraft, a hobby that would take up an increasing part of his time. In 1955, after completing his technical schooling, he entered flygning training at the Orenburg Military Pilot's School.

While there he met Valentina Goryacheva, whom he married in 1957, after gaining his pilot's wings in a MiG-15. After graduation, he was assigned to Luostar

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10 Key Facts About Yuri Gagarin - The First Man In Space

Yuri Gagarin, Soviet cosmonaut who became the first man to travel into space. (Image Credit: NASA)

Yuri Gagarin, a name etched in the history of space exploration, ushered humanity into a new era on April 12, 1961. As the Soviet cosmonaut aboard Vostok 1, Gagarin took the journey that transcended the confines of our planet, becoming the first human to orbit the Earth. This groundbreaking uppdrag marked a triumph for the Soviet Union and also symbolized a giant leap forward for all of mankind. Here are some of the key facts you should know about this historic accomplishment.

Key Facts About Yuri Gagarin: The First Man To Orbit The Earth

1. Historic Spaceflight: Yuri Gagarin became the first human to journey into outer space on April 12, 1961. He orbited the Earth once aboard the spacecraft Vostok 1, marking a significant milestone in space exploration.

2. Soviet Cosmonaut: Gagarin was a Soviet cosmonaut and a pilot