1937day.year
Valentina Tereshkova
Russian general, pilot, and astronaut
Russian general
pilot
and astronaut
First woman to fly in space, piloting Vostok 6 in 1963 and later rising to the rank of major general.
Valentina Tereshkova was selected from over four hundred applicants to pilot Vostok 6, becoming the first woman ever to travel into space on June 16, 1963. A textile factory worker and amateur skydiver, she orbited the Earth 48 times, demonstrating that women could withstand the rigors of spaceflight. After her historic mission, Tereshkova earned a doctorate in engineering and held various political and party posts in the Soviet government. She continued to advocate for space exploration and has remained an iconic figure in aerospace history, honored with numerous awards including the Hero of the Soviet Union.
Valentina Tereshkova