Gagarin Enters Space: Humanity Takes Its First Step
Yuri Gagarin launched aboard Vostok 1 at 9:07 AM Moscow time on April 12, 1961, completing one orbit of Earth in 108 minutes. He ejected from the capsule at 7,000 meters and parachuted separately to the ground, landing near the Volga River in the Saratov region. Soviet authorities kept the ejection secret for years because FAI rules at the time required the pilot to land inside the aircraft for the record to count. Gagarin was 27 years old and had been selected from over 3,000 candidates partly because of his short stature, 5'2", which fit the tiny capsule. He never flew in space again. He died in a routine training jet crash on March 27, 1968, at age 34. The cause has never been definitively established.
April 12, 1961
65 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on April 12
A Numidian legion turned its spears against Rome's own governors, slaughtering Gordian II in the streets of Carthage. His father, Gordian I, couldn't bear the n…
Shapur I ascended to the Sasanian throne as co-emperor alongside his father, Ardashir I, consolidating power within the young dynasty. This transition ensured a…
He stepped onto the throne at Ctesiphon not with a whisper, but with a roar that shook the Persian Gulf coast. Shapur I didn't just inherit a crown; he inherite…
The Eastern Emperor sent a warship loaded with gold to Rome, not peace. Anthemius accepted this bribe and climbed into a crumbling throne he could barely afford…
King Edwin of Northumbria accepted baptism from Bishop Paulinus on Easter Sunday, officially aligning his powerful Anglo-Saxon kingdom with the Roman Church. Th…
Duke Oldřich seized the Bohemian throne by ambushing and blinding his brother, Jaromír, forcing the deposed ruler into exile in Poland. This brutal consolidatio…
Talk to History
Have a conversation with historical figures who witnessed this era. Ask questions, explore perspectives, and bring history to life.