Yuri Gagarin | The First Human in Space (1961)
At age 27 on the morning of 12 April 1961, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, was helped into his spacesuit and made his way to the launch pad. He climbed into the Vostok spacecraft, wondering if he would return back to earth, but was calm.
1961-04-12 11:00:00 - Simple History
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin  (1934-1968) was a Soviet Air Forces pilot and cosmonaut who became the first human to journey into outer space, achieving a major milestone in the Space Race; his capsule, Vostok 1, completed one orbit of Earth on 12 April 1961.
Gagarin became an international celebrity and was awarded many medals and titles, including Hero of the Soviet Union, his nation's highest honour.