» Astronaut Biographies
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin
- Status: Cosmonaut
- Flight Number: 1
- Number of Flights: 1
- Date of Birth: March 9, 1934
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut, the first human in world history to journey into outer space.
His historic flight on April 12, 1961, aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft marked a major milestone in the Space Race and turned him into a global cultural icon. Gagarin was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union, the nation's highest honor, along with numerous other international medals and titles.