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Yuri Gagarin Facts for Kids

  • Name: Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin
  • Born: March 9th, 1934
  • Died: March 27th, 1968
  • Education: Saratov Industrial Technical School
  • Space Agency: Soviet space program
  • Missions: Vostok 1

14 Yuri Gagarin Facts for Kids

  1. Yuri Gagarin was a Soviet Union cosmonaut with the Soviet space program.
  2. Yuri Gagarin was born on Friday, March 9th, 1934 in Klushino, Smolensk Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union.
  3. Yuri Gagarin was the son of Alexey Ivanovich Gagarin and Anna Timofeyevna Gagarina.
  4. Yuri Gagarin died on Wednesday, March 12th, 1968 when his MiG-15UTI crashed during a training flight.
  5. Yuri Gagarin married Valentina Goryacheva in 1957 and they remained married until his death in 1968.
  6. Yuri Gagarin and Valentina Goryacheva had two children together, both were daughters.
  7. Yuri Gagarin is best known for being the first human to travel into outer space.
  8. On April 12th, 1961, aboard Vostok 3KA-3, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to go into outer space.
  9. Yuri Gagarin spent a total of 1 hour and 28 minutes in space.
  10. Yuri Gagarin received the highest award from the Soviet Union, the Hero of the Soviet Union medal.
  11. Prior to the Vostok 1 mission, Yuri Gagarin was a test pilot for the Soviet Air Force.
  12. The highest rank achieved by Yuri Gagarin while in the Soviet Air Force was Colonel (Polkvonik).
  13. The Vostok 1 mission was a major milestone during the Space Race between the USSR and the USA.
  14. The launch pad used by Yuri Gagarin to launch into space is still in use today, it's called the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

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