Facts about Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin

1. 05

   Yuri Gagarin died in March 1968 when the MiG-15 training jet he was piloting crashed near Kirzhach, Russia.

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2. 04

   Before becoming a cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin trained as a Soviet Air Force pilot and held the rank of senior lieutenant at the time of his spaceflight.

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3. 03

   The flight of Yuri Gagarin aboard Vostok 1 lasted just 108 minutes, completing a single orbit of Earth.

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4. 02

   After his historic flight, Yuri Gagarin became a global celebrity and was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.

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5. 01

   On April 12, 1961, Soviet pilot Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into outer space aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft.

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