Yuri Gagarin was a Russian-Soviet pilot who, on April 12, 1961, became the first human to journey into outer space by completing an orbit of the Earth in his Vostok spacecraft. Gagarin became an international celebrity after his achievement and received many honors, including Hero of the Soviet Union. While Vostok 1 was his only spaceflight, he later served as backup crew on the Soyuz 1 mission. Gagarin tragically died in a 1968 plane crash while training as a pilot.

1. Yuri Gagarin

2. Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin; (9 March 1934 – 27 March
1968) was a Russian-Soviet pilot and cosmonaut. He
was the first human to journey into outer space, when
his Vostok spacecraft completed an orbit of
the Earth on 12 April 1961.

3. Gagarin became an international celebrity, and was
awarded many medals and titles, including Hero of the
Soviet Union, the nation's highest honour. Vostok
1 marked his only spaceflight, but he served as backup
crew to the Soyuz 1 mission (which ended in a fatal
crash).

4. Gagarin later became deputy training director of
the Cosmonaut Training Centre outside Moscow,
which was later named after him. Gagarin died in
1968 when the MIG-15 training jet he was piloting
crashed.

5. By Yuri Danielyan