The first human to travel into space was Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet cosmonaut. On April 12, 1961, he orbited the Earth aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft, completing a single orbit in 108 minutes. Gagarin's landmark flight marked a significant achievement during the Space Race and made him an international icon of space exploration and the Soviet space program. His successful mission proved that human spaceflight was possible and paved the way for future missions and advancements in space exploration. Gagarin remains celebrated for his bravery and contribution to humanity's journey into space.