Yury Alekseyevich Gagarin - biography.

Yury Alekseyevich Gagarin - biography. Soviet cosmonaut Birth March 9, 1934 Death March 27, 1968 Place of Birth Klushino, in the former USSR, currently Russia Known as The first human in space Career 1957 Graduated from Soviet Air Force cadet training school at Chkalov (now Orenburg) 1960 Was accepted into the Soviet air force's cosmonaut program April 12, 1961 Orbited Earth once, aboard Vostok 1 1962 Was appointed deputy to the Supreme Soviet, the legislature of the Soviet Union 1963 Was appointed deputy director of the cosmonaut training center February 1968 Graduated from Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy March 27, 1968 Was killed during a routine jet training flight Did You Know Following reentry, Gagarin ejected from Vostok 1 at an altitude of about 6 km (about 4 mi) and parachuted to the ground. 'Poyekhali!' (Let's go!) was Gagarin's cry at liftoff on April 12, 1961. There is a crater on the moon that is named after Gagarin. Gagarin's historic flight lasted only 108 minutes. Like John Glenn in the 1960s, Gagarin was not allowed to go to space again because he was considered too valuable to risk. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.