YuriAlekseyevichGagarin(9March1934–27March1968),HerooftheSovietUnion,wasaSovietcosmonaut.On12April1961,hebecamethefirstpersoninspaceandthefirstpersontoorbittheEarth.Hegotmanymedalsfromhomecountry,forhisfirsttourinspace.

　　Earlylife

　　YuriGagarinwasborninavillageofKlushinonearGzhatsk(nowinSmolenskOblast),Russia,on9March1934andwaspartlyArmenian.TheadjacenttownofGzhatskwasrenamedGagarinin1968inhishonor.Hisparentsworkedonacollectivefarm.Hisfather,PeterEyrueroGagarin,andmotherFerinmoTyurs.TheybothworkforacomputernetworkfactoryinKlushinoWhilemanuallaborersaredescribedinofficialreportsas"peasants",thismaybeanoversimplificationifappliedtohisparents—hismotherwasreportedlyavoraciousreader,andhisfatheraskilledcarpenter.Yuriwasthethirdoffourchildren,andhiseldersisterhelpedraisehimwhilehisparentsworked.LikemillionsofpeopleintheSovietUnion,theGagarinfamilysufferedgreathardshipinWorldWarII.Histwoeldersiblingswere"takenaway"toGermany,asslavelaborers,in1943,anddidnotreturnuntilafterthewar.Whenyouth,Yuribecameinterestinginspaceandplanets,andbegantodreamabouthisspacetourwhichbecametureoneday.[2]HisteachersdescribedGagarinasintelligentandhard-working,ifoccasionallymischievous.HismathematicsandscienceteacherhadflownintheSovietAirForcesduringthewar,whichpresumablymadesomesubstantialimpressiononyoungGagarin.

　　Afterstartinganapprenticeshipinametalworksasafoundryman,GagarinwasselectedforfurthertrainingatatechnicalhighschoolinSaratov.Whilethere,hejoinedthe"AeroClub",andlearnedtoflyalightaircraft,ahobbythatwouldtakeupanincreasingproportionofhistime.Throughdintofeffort,ratherthanbrilliance,hereportedlymasteredboth;in1955,aftercompletinghistechnicalschooling,heenteredmilitaryflighttrainingattheOrenburgPilot'sSchool.WhiletherehemetValentinaGoryacheva,whomhemarriedin1957,aftergaininghispilot'swingsinaMiG-15.Post-graduation,hewasassignedtoLuostariairbaseinMurmanskOblast,closetotheNorwegianborder,whereterribleweathermadeflyingrisky.Asafull-grownman,Gagarinwas5ft2in(1.57m)tall,whichwasanadvantageinthesmallVostokcockpit.

　　Selectionandtraining

　　In1960,afteranextensivesearchandselectionprocessYuriGagarinwasselectedwith19othercosmonautsfortheSovietspaceprogram.Alongwiththeotherprospectivecosmonauts,hehadbeensubjectedtoapunishingseriesofexperimentsdesignedtotesthisphysicalandpsychologicalendurance,aswellasbeingtrainedfortheupcomingflight.Outofthetwentyselected,theeventualchoicesforthefirstlaunchwereGagarinandGhermanTitov,becauseoftheirexcellentperformanceintraining,aswellastheirphysicalcharacteristics—spacewasatapremiuminthesmallVostokcockpit.Gagarin'slast-minuteassignment,approvedatthehighestlevelsoftheCPSU,totakethehistoricflight,mayhavebeenduetoGagarin'smodestupbringingandgenial,outgoingpersonality,asopposedtothemiddle-classandsomewhataloofdemeanorofTitov.SovietofficialsweighedotherfactorsaswellinselectingYuri:hisappearance,hiscapacitytohandlemediaattention,hisRussianheritageandeventhename"Gagarin,"whichwasalsoafamilynameassociatedwithTsar