Yuri Gagarin

Yuri Gagarin was born on March 9, 1934 in the village Klushino Gzhatsk area of the Western Region of the RSFSR (now Gagarin district of Smolensk region), near the town of Gzhatsk (now Gagarin). By origin, Gagarin comes from the peasants, his father, Alexei Ivanovich Gagarin (1902-1973), - a carpenter, his mother, Anna Matveeva Timofeevna (1903-1984) - worked as a swineherd.

George passed his childhood in the village Klushino. September 1, 1941 the boy went to school, but October 12 the Germans occupied the village, and his studies were interrupted. Almost half the village of Klushino was occupied by German troops. April 9, 1943 the Red Army liberated the village, and George's school resumed.

On May 24, 1945, the Gagarin family moved to Gzhatsk. In May 1949, Gagarin graduated from sixth grade Gzhatsk high school, and September 30, enrolled in a vocational school, Lubertsy number 10. At the same time, he enrolled in night school for working youth as a seventh grader and graduated in May 1951.  In June he graduated with honors from college with a degree in moulder-foundry.

In August 1951, Gagarin joined the Saratov Industrial Technical School, and on October 25, 1954, for the first time, he joined the Saratov Flying Club. In 1955, Yuri Gagarin made significant progress, he graduated with honors from school and made the first solo flight in the Yak-18. Just a flying club, Yuri Gagarin completed 196 flights and flew 42 hours 23 minutes.

On October 27, 1955 Gagarin was drafted and sent to Orenburg, in the 1st Military Aviation School named Voroshilov. He studied with then famous test pilot, J. S. Akbulatov. October 25, 1957 Gagarin finished school and graduated with honors. For two years he served in the 169-m fighter aviation regiment of the 122nd Fighter Division of the Northern Fleet, armed MiG-15bis. By October 1959 he had flown a total of 265 hours.

In 1959 he married Valentina Ivanovna Goryacheva.

December 9, 1959 Gagarin wrote a letter requesting enrollment in a group of would-be astronauts. A week later, he was summoned to Moscow for a comprehensive medical examination at the Central Scientific-Research Aviation Hospital. Early the next year, this was followed by another special medical board, which recognized Lieutenant Gagarin fit for space flight. On March 3, 1960 order of the Chief of the Air Force Konstantin A. Vershinin enrolled in a group of would-be astronauts, and on March 11, the Gagarin family moved to a new place of work. On March 25, Gagarin began classes on a regular training program for astronauts.