Composite illustration of Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968), Soviet cosmonaut and first man in space. Gagarin made the first manned space flight on 12th April 1961. He orbited the Earth once in the Vostok 1 spacecraft, a flight that lasted 1 hour and 48 minutes. Gagarin became a hero in the Soviet Union and famous worldwide. He later returned to active service as a test pilot, dying in a crash during a training flight in 1968. His ashes were interred with full military honours in the Kremlin Wall.