World History Minute: Gagarin In Space
During the 1950s, the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union was played out in a Space Race. The Soviets eventually won after Lieutenant Yuri Gagarin became the first human traveler in space on April 12, 1961.
Today, the date is celebrated in Russia as Cosmonaut’s Day. Historian John Schmidt tells the story of Gagarin’s space flight journey.