Soviet pilot and cosmonaut, first human in space (1934–1968)
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut who became the first human to journey into outer space. Travelling in the Vostok 1 capsule, Gagarin completed one orbit of Earth on 12 April 1961. By achieving this major milestone in the Space Race he became an international celebrity, and was awarded many medals and titles, including Hero of the Soviet Union, his nation's highest honour.
Read more onThere are 27 more famous people who are born on the same day as Yury Gagarin. We're showing the top 4 most popular below but you can see the rest here.
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