1) Yuri Gagarin, a 27-year old Russian astronaut was the first man in space on 12th April, 1961 who circled the earth for 108 minutes aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft.
2) Cosmonautics Day is a Russian holiday and 12th April was also declared as the International Day of Human Space Flight in dedication to the astronaut.
3) The day was a major success for the Soviet space program and opened new era in the history of space exploration.
4) In a lavish ceremony, Gagarin was awarded the highest Soviet honour, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union by the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.
5) In current times, the commemoration ceremony on Cosmonautics Day starts in the city of Korolyov, near Gagarin’s statue.
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