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| yuri gagarin first man in space |
Yuri Gagarin was the first human/man in space. He blasted into Yuri Gagarin was the first human in space. He blasted into space on April 12, 1961 on the Vostok 1. The Vostok 1 circled at a speed of 27,400 Kilometers per hour! Yuri Gagarin also became the first person to orbit the earth on the day he went into space. His flight lasted 108 minutes. At the highest point, Yuri Gagarin was about 327 kilometers above earth. Yuri Gagarin, luckily, landed on earth safely. He planned on flying in space a second time, but unfortunately he died.
April 12, 1961: Russia Wins Race, Puts First Man in Space
Tony Long 
04.12.07
04.12.07 
Yuri Gagarin
Image: Russian Institute of Radionavigation and Time
Image: Russian Institute of Radionavigation and Time
The diminutive Gagarin, who stood a mere 5-foot-2, appeared ready to pursue a career as an industrial worker but found his passion for flying while attending technical school. He entered military flight training and earned his pilot’s wings at the controls of a MiG-15. In 1960, he was selected as one of the Soviet Union's first class of 20 cosmonauts. He excelled in the training and so was chosen to be the first man to enter space -- and perhaps partly because the Vostok-1 capsule was so cramped.
Space flight being very much a crapshoot at the time, Soviet authorities figured Gagarin was just as likely to die upon re-entering the atmosphere as he was to return safely. But return he did and Premier Nikita Khrushchev, who hoped to use Gagarin’s success to strengthen the Soviet Union’s ballistic missile program, rushed to his side to bask in a little reflected glory.
Twenty-three days later, on May 5, Alan Shepard became the first American to enter sub-orbital space but it took nearly a year before a U.S. astronaut -- John Glenn aboard Friendship 7 -- successfully orbited the Earth.
Gagarin returned to flying jet aircraft and was killed in a training accident in 1968.
(Source: Wikipedia)
