12 April 1961

On 12 April 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space and orbit the Earth. This historic event marked a significant milestone in space exploration, demonstrating that human spaceflight was possible. Gagarin’s spacecraft, Vostok 1, orbited the planet once, lasting about 108 minutes. The achievement heightened the Cold War space race between the Soviet Union and the United States, inspiring technological advancements and international interest in space exploration. It remains a symbol of human ingenuity and courage in venturing beyond our planet.