Yuri Gagarin's Milestones
Birth
Yuri Gagarin was born in Klushino, Smolensk Oblast, Russia, to Aleksey and Anna Gagarin.
Childhood under German occupation
Lived through Nazi occupation of Klushino during WWII; family home seized, siblings deported, endured hardship and hunger.
Postwar schooling in Gzhatsk
Moved to Gzhatsk after WWII; attended school, developed interest in science and aviation, built model planes.
Apprenticeship and technical school
Began apprenticeship as a foundryman in Lyubertsy and attended evening classes; graduated with honors.
Industrial Technical School, Saratov
Studied tractors at Saratov Industrial Technical School; joined flying club and learned to fly Yak-18.
Joined Soviet Air Force
Accepted to First Chkalov Higher Air Force Pilots School in Orenburg; trained on Yak-18 and MiG-15.
Commissioned as lieutenant
Commissioned as a lieutenant in the Soviet Air Forces; posted to Luostari Air Base near Murmansk.
Married Valentina Goryacheva
Married Valentina Goryacheva, a medical technician, on the day of his graduation from flight school.
Promoted to senior lieutenant
Promoted to senior lieutenant; expressed interest in space exploration after Luna 3 launch.
Selected as cosmonaut
Selected as one of the first 20 cosmonauts for the Soviet space program; began intensive training.
Vostok 1 mission and first human in space
Launched aboard Vostok 1, became the first human to travel into space and orbit Earth; parachuted safely to ground after 108-minute flight.
Hero of the Soviet Union
Awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and became a global celebrity; honored with parades and ceremonies.
World tours and public figure
Toured dozens of countries as a symbol of Soviet achievement; met world leaders and inspired millions.
Deputy and cosmonaut trainer
Served as deputy to the Soviet of the Union, worked as a trainer and administrator at Star City, and designed spacecraft.
Graduated Air Force Engineering Academy
Defended thesis and graduated cum laude from Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy.
Death in jet crash
Died in a MiG-15UTI crash near Kirzhach during a training flight; ashes interred in the Kremlin Wall, Moscow.