What year did Yuri Gagarin orbit the Earth?

Yuri Gagarin orbited the Earth on April 12, 1961. This date marks one of the most historic milestones in human history — the first time a human being traveled beyond Earth’s atmosphere and completed a full orbit around the planet. The spacecraft Vostok 1 launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, then part of the Soviet Union. Gagarin’s mission lasted approximately 108 minutes, reaching a maximum altitude of 327 kilometers. This incredible feat made him a global icon and established the Soviet Union as a leader in the Space Race against the United States during the Cold War.