Yuri Gagarin, the first human to travel outside the reaches of Earth's atmosphere, passed away on March 27, 1968, at the age of 34. Born in 1934 in the village of Klushino near Smolensk, Gagarin was a Soviet cosmonaut, a Lieutenant Colonel in the Soviet Air Force, and a true icon of space exploration. In 1961, Gagarin achieved the momentous milestone of being the first human to fly into space, aboard Vostok 1. The mission lasted a single orbit, lasting 108 minutes and travelled over 100,000 km. Gagarin's flight is considered to be the most significant moment in the history of space exploration, and it earned him worldwide fame and numerous awards. While in office, Gagarin also trained future cosmonauts and supported the development of the Soviet space program. Gagarin will be remembered for his courage and pioneering spirit, not only in the exploration of space, but also in his passion to further global scientific progress. He will be fondly remembered and greatly missed.