# Canonical recap data for First Man in Space (1961)
# Source: https://recap.at/1961/first-human-spaceflight
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: first-human-spaceflight
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1961/first-human-spaceflight"
title: First Man in Space
aliases:
- Vostok 1
- Gagarin's Flight
- 12 April 1961
subtitle: Yuri Gagarin orbited Earth aboard Vostok 1, becoming the first human in space and galvanizing the global Space Race.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1961-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1961
decade: 1960
country:
name: Soviet Union
slug: soviet-union
summaryShort: "Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut who became the first person to journey into outer space during the first successful crewed spaceflight. Travelling on Vostok 1, Gagarin completed one orbit of Earth on 12 April 1961. The flight took 108 minutes. By achieving this major milestone for the Soviet "
summaryLong: "Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut who became the first person to journey into outer space during the first successful crewed spaceflight. Travelling on Vostok 1, Gagarin completed one orbit of Earth on 12 April 1961. The flight took 108 minutes. By achieving this major milestone for the Soviet Union amidst the Space Race, he became an international celebrity and earned numerous accolades, including his country's highest distinction: Hero of the Soviet Union."
lede: On April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space, completing one orbit of Earth aboard Vostok 1 in 108 minutes. The achievement gave the Soviet Union a decisive early victory in the Space Race and proved that humans could survive the conditions of spaceflight.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/Yuri_Gagarin_with_awards_%28cropped%29_2.jpg/1280px-Yuri_Gagarin_with_awards_%28cropped%29_2.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Yuri Gagarin"
importance: 94
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Flight duration
  value: 108 minutes
- label: Orbits completed
  value: "1"
- label: Cosmonaut age
  value: 27 years old
- label: Maximum altitude
  value: 327 kilometers above Earth
- label: Spacecraft mass
  value: 4,725 kilograms
- label: Launch site
  value: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakh SSR
timeline:
- date: 1955-11-01
  title: Gagarin enters Soviet Air Force
  description: Yuri Gagarin begins pilot training in the Soviet military aviation system.
- date: 1960-03-23
  title: Gagarin selected for space program
  description: Soviet engineers select Gagarin as lead cosmonaut candidate for the first crewed spaceflight after rigorous testing.
- date: 1961-04-12
  title: Vostok 1 launches
  description: "Gagarin blasts off from Baikonur at 9:07 AM Moscow time aboard Vostok 1, becoming the first human in space."
- date: 1961-04-12
  title: First human orbit completed
  description: Vostok 1 completes one full orbit of Earth after 90 minutes of spaceflight, with Gagarin transmitting 'I am feeling well' to ground control.
- date: 1961-04-12
  title: Gagarin ejected from capsule
  description: At 7 kilometers altitude, Gagarin ejects from Vostok 1 and descends separately by parachute, landing in the Saratov region.
- date: 1961-04-12
  title: Gagarin recovered safely
  description: Recovery teams locate Gagarin near Engels, Soviet Union. The flight's full details remain classified for several years.
- date: 1961-05-05
  title: U.S. launches Freedom 7
  description: Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space aboard Freedom 7, but only reaches suborbital altitude, falling short of Gagarin's achievement.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuri_Gagarin"
  title: First man in Space
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: Gagarin's flight fundamentally shifted Cold War dynamics by demonstrating Soviet technological superiority at a moment when the U.S. feared it was falling behind. The mission opened the space age to human exploration and made spaceflight seem not just theoretically possible but practically achievable.
categories:
- tech-launch
- launch
taxonomy:
domain: technological
eventTypes:
- space_mission
- scientific_breakthrough
canonicalClasses:
- discovery
- creation
impactRadius: global
velocity: sudden
predictability: scheduled
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: birth
metaDescription: Yuri Gagarin becomes first human in space aboard Vostok 1, April 12, 1961. Soviet Union wins Space Race opening move.
wikidataQid: Q7327
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: The New York Times
  publisherSlug: the-new-york-times
  headline: Soviet Orbits Man and Recovers Him; Space Ob Circled Earth in 108 Minutes
  publishedAt: 1961-04-12
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: The Soviet Union successfully launched a man into space this morning and brought him back safely to earth. Maj. Yuri A. Gagarin, a 27-year-old Soviet pilot, completed one orbit of the earth in the Vostok 1 spacecraft in 108 minutes.
  significance: 90
  type: newspaper
  region: United States
- publisher: Pravda
  publisherSlug: pravda
  headline: Chelovek v kosmose! Istoricheskiy polet Yu. A. Gagarina
  publishedAt: 1961-04-12
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: "RU: 'Chelovek v kosmose! Istoricheskiy polet Yu. A. Gagarina' / EN: 'Man in Space! The Historic Flight of Yu. A. Gagarin'. The Soviet newspaper trumpeted the triumph of Soviet science and engineering, presenting Gagarin as a hero of the socialist state."
  significance: 90
  type: newspaper
  region: Soviet Union
- publisher: The Guardian
  publisherSlug: the-guardian
  headline: Russian Sends Man into Space and Brings Him Back Safely
  publishedAt: 1961-04-12
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: The Soviet Union achieved a spectacular success in the space race yesterday by launching Major Yuri Gagarin, aged 27, into orbit around the earth. The spacecraft completed one full circuit of the globe in 108 minutes before returning safely.
  significance: 88
  type: newspaper
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: Time Magazine
  publisherSlug: time-magazine
  headline: Man in Space
  publishedAt: 1961-04-21
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - In its cover story, Time documented the Soviet achievement and its implications for the U.S. space program. Gagarin's flight represented a decisive victory in the early space race, achieved with remarkable engineering and daring.
  significance: 87
  type: magazine
  region: United States
- publisher: Le Monde
  publisherSlug: le-monde
  headline: L'Union Sovietique Envoie un Homme dans l'Espace
  publishedAt: 1961-04-13
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: "FR: 'L'Union Sovietique Envoie un Homme dans l'Espace' / EN: 'The Soviet Union Sends a Man into Space'. The French daily reported on the geopolitical significance of the Soviet triumph and Western reactions to this watershed moment in spaceflight."
  significance: 86
  type: newspaper
  region: France
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260606161533/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuri_Gagarin"
  capturedAt: 2026-06-06
  label: First man in Space
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuri_Gagarin"
translations:
es:
lede: El 12 de abril de 1961, el cosmonauta soviético Yuri Gagarin se convirtió en el primer ser humano en el espacio, completando una órbita de la Tierra a bordo del Vostok 1 en 108 minutos. El logro otorgó a la Unión Soviética una victoria temprana decisiva en la carrera espacial y demostró que los humanos podían sobrevivir las condiciones del vuelo espacial.
summaryShort: Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin fue un piloto y cosmonauta soviético que se convirtió en la primera persona en viajar al espacio exterior durante el primer vuelo espacial tripulado exitoso. Viajando en el Vostok 1, Gagarin completó una órbita de la Tierra el 12 de abril de 1961. El vuelo duró 108 minutos. Al lograr este hito importante para la Unión Soviética
summaryLong: "Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin fue un piloto y cosmonauta soviético que se convirtió en la primera persona en viajar al espacio exterior durante el primer vuelo espacial tripulado exitoso. Viajando en el Vostok 1, Gagarin completó una órbita de la Tierra el 12 de abril de 1961. El vuelo duró 108 minutos. Al lograr este hito importante para la Unión Soviética en medio de la carrera espacial, se convirtió en una celebridad internacional y recibió numerosas distinciones, incluida la más alta distinción de su país: Héroe de la Unión Soviética."
generatedAt: "2026-06-18T03:30:21.146Z"
fr:
lede: Le 12 avril 1961, le cosmonaute soviétique Yuri Gagarin devint le premier humain dans l'espace, accomplissant une orbite complète de la Terre à bord de Vostok 1 en 108 minutes. Cette réussite donna à l'Union soviétique une victoire décisive précoce dans la course à l'espace et prouva que les humains pouvaient survivre aux conditions du vol spatial.
summaryShort: Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin était un pilote et cosmonaute soviétique qui devint la première personne à voyager dans l'espace lors du premier vol spatial habité réussi. Voyageant à bord de Vostok 1, Gagarin compléta une orbite de la Terre le 12 avril 1961. Le vol dura 108 minutes. En accomplissant cet exploit majeur pour l'Union soviétique
summaryLong: "Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin était un pilote et cosmonaute soviétique qui devint la première personne à voyager dans l'espace lors du premier vol spatial habité réussi. Voyageant à bord de Vostok 1, Gagarin compléta une orbite de la Terre le 12 avril 1961. Le vol dura 108 minutes. En accomplissant cet exploit majeur pour l'Union soviétique au cours de la course à l'espace, il devint une célébrité internationale et reçut de nombreuses distinctions, notamment la plus haute distinction de son pays : Héros de l'Union soviétique."
generatedAt: "2026-06-18T03:30:23.938Z"
de:
lede: Am 12. April 1961 wurde der sowjetische Kosmonaut Juri Gagarin der erste Mensch im Weltall und umkreiste die Erde in 108 Minuten an Bord von Wostok 1. Die Errungenschaft verschaffte der Sowjetunion einen entscheidenden frühen Sieg im Weltraum-Wettrennen und bewies, dass Menschen die Bedingungen des Raumflugs überstehen können.
summaryShort: Juri Alexejewitsch Gagarin war ein sowjetischer Pilot und Kosmonaut, der die erste Person war, die während des ersten erfolgreichen bemannten Raumflugs ins Weltall reiste. An Bord von Wostok 1 umkreiste Gagarin die Erde am 12. April 1961. Der Flug dauerte 108 Minuten. Mit dieser bedeutenden Leistung für die Sowjetunion
summaryLong: "Juri Alexejewitsch Gagarin war ein sowjetischer Pilot und Kosmonaut, der die erste Person war, die während des ersten erfolgreichen bemannten Raumflugs ins Weltall reiste. An Bord von Wostok 1 umkreiste Gagarin die Erde am 12. April 1961. Der Flug dauerte 108 Minuten. Mit dieser bedeutenden Leistung für die Sowjetunion inmitten des Weltraum-Wettlaufs wurde er eine internationale Berühmtheit und erhielt zahlreiche Ehrungen, darunter die höchste Auszeichnung seines Landes: Held der Sowjetunion."
generatedAt: "2026-06-18T03:30:26.837Z"
