The first man to orbit the Earth was Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet cosmonaut, who achieved this milestone on April 12, 1961. His spacecraft, Vostok 1, successfully completed an orbit around the planet in approximately 108 minutes, marking a significant achievement in the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Gagarin's successful mission symbolized Soviet technological prowess and sparked national pride, serving as a catalyst for further advancements in space exploration. His journey not only changed humanity's view of space but also inspired future generations of astronauts and space enthusiasts across the globe.