Artifact Category: Photograph, autograph
Dimensions: 8.9 x 11.9 cm.
Description: Yuri Gagarin was a Soviet Air Force pilot and cosmonaut who became the first human to journey into outer space. On April 12, 1961, Gagarin orbited the Earth aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft, completing a single orbit in 108 minutes.
Born in the village of Klushino in Russia in 1934, Gagarin trained as a foundryman before enrolling in a vocational school for metalworking. He later attended the Saratov Industrial Technical School, where he joined a flying club and became interested in aviation. In 1955, Gagarin entered military flight training and became a lieutenant in the Soviet Air Force.
Gagarin was selected to be a cosmonaut in 1960 and underwent intense physical and psychological training. On April 12, 1961, he was launched into space aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft, becoming the first human to travel into space. The mission made Gagarin an international hero and a symbol of Soviet technological superiority during the Cold War.
Despite his fame, Gagarin remained modest and focused on his work as a cosmonaut. He continued to train for future space missions and worked on developing new spacecraft technology. Tragically, Gagarin died in 1968 while piloting a training jet in a routine flight exercise.
This signed picture comes with a Letter of Authenticity from Steve Zarelli.
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