🚀 On April 12, 1961, at 9.07 am Moscow Time, the Vostok spacecraft with Yury Gagarin aboard made its historic lift-off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. This first manned space mission in the history of humankind heralded the beginning of the Space Age.

Yury #Gagarin was only 27 years old then. He had experienced various hardships earlier in life, spending his childhood years in his home town in Nazi-occupied territory during the Great Patriotic War. After the war, he joined the Saratov air club, for many years he trained hard to become a professional pilot. Gagarin eventually joined the first Soviet cosmonaut squad.

On that memorable April morning, he was preparing to take off into the unknown where no human being had ever been before. A photographer took images of the cosmonaut’s face before the flight. Gagarin showed absolutely no fear, flashing his famous smile and concentrating on his responsible assignment.

🧑‍🚀 Yury Gagarin spent 108 minutes in outer space, orbited the Earth and successfully landed near the village of Smelovka in the Saratov Region.

While in orbit, he maintained radio contact with Earth, conducted observations through a porthole, controlled the operation of the spacecraft’s systems and made a few experiments.

📰 The media widely announced Yury Gagarin’s mission 55 minutes after the Vostok rocket lifted off. It became the most quoted news story worldwide. Instantly, a Soviet pilot & cosmonaut became the most famous person on Earth.

Two days later, the residents of the Soviet capital took to the streets, carrying flowers and posters that welcomed Gagarin who had arrived in Moscow. In late April, the first man in space went on a global tour to share his impressions with people all over the world.

🌐 In the next two years following this history-making event, Yury Gagarin visited over 30 countries where he was given a hero’s welcome. His tour was unofficially named the Peace Mission. Despite his immense popularity, Gagarin remained his own usual self and continued to engage in what he liked most – aviation and cosmonautics – for the rest of his life.