The first astronaut to travel to space was Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet cosmonaut. He made history on April 12, 1961, when he orbited Earth aboard the spacecraft Vostok 1. Gagarin's flight lasted approximately 108 minutes and completed one orbit around the planet. His successful mission marked a significant milestone in the space race between the Soviet Union and the United States during the Cold War. Gagarin became an international hero and symbolized the achievements of the Soviet space program, influencing future human space exploration and inspiring generations of astronauts.