Yuri Gagarin

Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin (Russian: ???? ?????????? ???????; March 9, 1934 ? March 27, 1968), was a Soviet cosmonaut who in 1961 became the first human to travel into space.

Early Life

Yuri Gagarin was born near Gzhatsk (the town would be renamed Gagarin in 1968 to honour Yuri), and his parents worked on a collective farm. While manual labourers are described in official reports as "peasants", this is something of an exaggeration; his mother was reportedly a voracious reader, and his father a skilled carpenter. Yuri was the third of four children, and his elder sister helped raise him while his parents worked. Like millions of Russians, the Gagarin family suffered great hardship in World War II. His two elder siblings were taken away to Germany in 1943, and did not return until after the war. His teachers described Gagarin as intelligent and hard-working, if occasionally mischievous. His mathematics teacher flew in the Red Army Air Force during the war, which presumably made some substantial impression on the young Gagarin.

Related Topics:
Gzhatsk - World War II - 1943

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After starting an apprenticeship in a metalworks, Gagarin was selected for further training at a technical school in Saratov. While there, he joined the "AeroClub", and learned to fly a light aircraft, a hobby that began to take up an increasing proportion of his time. Through dint of effort, rather than brilliance, he reportedly mastered both; in 1955, after completing his technical schooling, he entered military flight training at the Orenberg Pilot's School. While there he met Valentina Gorycheva, whom he married in 1957, after gaining his pilot's wings in a MiG-15. After graduating, he was posted at an airbase near Murmansk, where terrible weather made flying risky. As a full-grown man, Gagarin was 5 feet 2 inches (approx. 157.5cm) tall.

Related Topics:
Saratov - 1955 - 1957 - MiG-15 - Murmansk

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