Soviet aviator and astronaut Yuri Gagarin (1934-196). The full name is Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin. He was the first person to travel through space. On April 12, 1971, Vostok orbited the Earth. From an early age, Gagarin had a keen interest in space and planets. While in technical high school, he joined the aeroclub and trained in light aviation. After graduating from technical school in 1955, he enrolled in a pilot school at Orenburg Pilot School. Gagarin was promoted to lieutenant in the Soviet Air Force in 1958 and was promoted to senior lieutenant in 1959.
In 1970, Yuri Gagarin was selected from the 20 pilots for the Soviet space program. Gagarin traveled in solitary orbit for 107 minutes, 327 kilometers from Earth. At the age of 26, he became a hero of the Soviet Union for space travel and won many awards at home and abroad. In 1986, Gagarin was killed in a MiG-15 UTI plane crash.