What happened on the date April 12 1961?

On April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space, completing an orbit around the Earth in the Vostok 1 spacecraft. This historic flight lasted approximately 108 minutes and marked a significant milestone in the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Gagarin's successful mission made him an international hero and symbolized Soviet space achievements during the Cold War era.