Yuri Alexseyevich Gagarin became the first human in space. Strictly a passenger, his onboard controls were locked out by a secret combination - in case of emergency he carried the combination in a sealed envelope. After reentry, Gagarin ejected from the Vostok at an altitude of 20,000 feet and parachuted to Earth. Coupled with other spacefaring accomplishments, this flight seemed to confirm Soviet technological superiority - the first US astronaut would not be launched until almost a month later and then on a comparatively short suborbital flight. As a result of his historic flight he became an international hero and legend.
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