Yury Gagarin (1934-1968) was a Soviet cosmonaut and the first human to journey into outer space. He was born to a farming family in Russia. After finishing vocational school, he attended flight school and became a military pilot. In 1961, Gagarin achieved history by becoming the first person to orbit Earth aboard Vostok 1. He spent 108 minutes in space before safely returning to Earth. Gagarin was hailed as a national hero for his pioneering mission.