OtterKnow Kids Encyclopedia

Yuri Gagarin was a bold pilot who became the very first human to travel into outer space! On April 12, 1961, he blasted off in a spaceship called Vostok 1 and zoomed around the Earth. His brave journey proved that humans could leave Earth and explore the wonderful mysteries of space!

Yuri was born on March 9, 1934, in a small village in Russia. His family lived on a farm, and life was sometimes hard. But Yuri always had a big, friendly smile and loved learning new things. He worked hard as a pilot and dreamed of flying higher and faster than anyone had ever gone before!

On April 12, 1961, Yuri blasted off in his round spaceship called Vostok 1. He zoomed completely around the Earth in just 108 minutes! As he looked out his small window, he saw how incredibly beautiful and blue our planet is. When he returned safely to Earth, millions of people all over the world cheered for him!