2.6K views · 42 reactions | 12 April 1961: Yuri Gagarin became the first person to orbit the Earth. | National Geographic UK | Facebook

On April 9, 1959, NASA introduced its very first astronaut class. Discover more space history 👉 https://space-com.visitlink.me/pBQddG This dashing group of young men is known as the Mercury 7. They were all military test pilots before they were chosen for the job, and they had all "the right stuff" to take on such risky missions. But in a way, they essentially became guinea pigs for NASA's new human spaceflight program, because they didn't get to do much piloting inside the Mercury spacecraft.

44K views · 474 reactions | Do you know who was the first American astronaut to travel into space? On #ThisDayInHistory in 1961, Navy Commander Alan Bartlett Shepard, Jr., became the first American astronaut to travel into space. His suborbital flight, which lasted 15 minutes, was a major triumph for NASA. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-first-american-in-space | HISTORY | Facebook

16K views · 179 reactions | Yuri Gagarin FIRST MAN ON SPACE...

5.5K views · 175 reactions | Sixty years ago, Russian astronaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human being to travel into space, marking a new chapter in the history of space exploration. How has the exploration of the cosmos evolved since then? Watch this video to know more! | WION | Facebook

On International Day of Human Space Flight, a look at the life of Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first person to enter outer space. | Reuters