During the times of the Soviet Union, space exploration was one of the main priorities. And a rocket undertaking the first flight into space departed from the USSR. That happened on the 12th of April, 1961. This day became an important part of history. The cosmonaut on board was pilot Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin. Let’s find out something about the life of this truly heroic person. Yuri Gagarin was born on the 9th of March in 1934 in Clushino village, Smolensk area. He was a native from simple country family. Later he finished Lubertsy School in Moscow, then Saratov Technikum School. By the way, in Saratov he studied in the aero club.