Yuri Gagarin was a childhood hero of mine, the first human in space and a mysterious figure from behind the iron curtain.
In the 70s, without today’s instant fingertip access to all the world’s knowledge, it was impossible for an eight-year-old in Northern Ireland to discover anything more about Gagarin other than that he existed, that he orbited the earth in 1961 and that he had a few years of international celebrity.
I lost sight of my space addiction, and never since thought to learn more about it so I’m pleased, pleasantly surprised and saddened to read this article marking the 50th anniversary of the original human in space.