Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut (born 1934)

Yuri Gagarin

Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut who, aboard the first successful crewed spaceflight, became the first person to journey into outer space. Travelling on Vostok 1, Gagarin completed one orbit of Earth on 12 April 1961, with his flight taking 108 minutes. By achieving this major milestone for the Soviet Union amidst the Space Race, he became an international celebrity and was awarded many medals and titles, including his country's highest distinction: Hero of the Soviet Union.

Born

1934

March 9

Died

1968

Era

1930s

Country

About

Yuri, in brief

Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut who, aboard the first successful crewed spaceflight, became the first person to journey into outer space. Travelling on Vostok 1, Gagarin completed one orbit of Earth on 12 April 1961, with his flight taking 108 minutes. By achieving this major milestone for the Soviet Union amidst the Space Race, he became an international celebrity and was awarded many medals and titles, including his country's highest distinction: Hero of the Soviet Union.

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Life timeline

Key dates

  1. 1934 Born
  2. 1968 Died

Also on March 9

What else happened on this day, through history

See all of March 9 →

The world in 1934

When Yuri arrived

Read the year 1934 →

Same-day contemporaries

Also born on March 9

See everything on March 9 →

Same-year contemporaries

Also born in 1934

Read about the year 1934 →

Keep going

More to explore