“Having stepped onto firm ground, I saw a woman and a girl who were standing near a spotted calf and who were watching me with bewilderment. When they saw me in my space suit and the parachute dragging alongside as I walked, they started to back away in fear. I told them, don’t be afraid, I am a Soviet like you, who has descended from space and I must find a telephone to call Moscow!”

Diary — Yuri Gagarin
(April 12 1961)

April 12 2023 — On April 12 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first person to venture in outer space. His spacecraft — Vostok 1 — orbited for 108 minutes before returning to Earth in Kazakhstan. At about 7,000 metres (23,000 ft), Gagarin ejected from the descending capsule and landed using a parachute. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY

RELATED POST: On This Day — Soviet Union Launches SPUTNIK (October 4 1957) [2020]

UPDATE (April 12 2025) — Declassified U.S. government documents from 1961 indicate that no formal invitation was extended to Yuri Gagarin, and efforts were made to discourage such invitations.

A June 1961 State Department telegram notes that “no invitation for Gagarin to visit [the] US” had been made and that the U.S. government “has made efforts to discourage invitation.”

This decision was made upon the recommendation of Secretary of State Dean Rusk and in consultation with the Central Intelligence Agency.

However, this stance evolved over time. By April 1962, White House Press Secretary Pierre Salinger wrote a memorandum stating that Gagarin was expected to be in Washington, D.C., that summer.

On July 6, 1962, the United States informed the Soviet Ambassador that travel restrictions had been lifted. Subsequently, on October 16, 1963, Yuri Gagarin appeared before the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.

The United Nations headquarters, while physically located in New York City, operates under an international agreement. It is often referred to as being on “international territory.”

Here’s what that means in this context:

The U.S., as host country, is obligated to grant access to representatives of UN member states — including the Soviet Union — for official UN business.

Gagarin’s appearance at the UN in 1963 (alongside Valentina Tereshkova) was not a U.S.-sponsored or invited event, but rather part of a Soviet diplomatic delegation attending a General Assembly session.

He did not tour the United States, nor did he meet with American officials like President Kennedy. There is no record of him making public appearances elsewhere in the country during that visit.

So, was Gagarin ever “welcomed” to the United States? No — not in the ceremonial or diplomatic sense. Gagarin was never officially welcomed to the U.S. as a guest of the American government, and his presence at the United Nations does not contradict that.

END of UPDATE

“Today humanity commemorates Yuri #Gagarin’s historic spaceflight. 1 full orbit & 108 mins changed the world forever.”

X (Twitter) — Russia
April 12, 2024

UPDATE (April 12 2024) — This morning, I experienced a series of weird denials and false statements from ChatGPT.

RELATED POST : Disinformation — Who Coined That Word Anyway?

It started with a simple question. Why did US president John F. Kennedy ban Gagarin from visiting the United States?

ChatGPT : There’s no historical evidence to support the claim that President John F. Kennedy barred Yuri Gagarin from visiting the United States.

A bit shocked by the answer, I pointed out the following piece written by Richard Orange [Yuri Gagarin: 50th anniversary of the first man in space — The Telegraph (April 12, 2011)] which happens to be the reference used by the Wikipedia article.

“It is difficult, today, for us to understand the level of Gagarin’s instant celebrity. When he visited Britain, he was driven through cheering crowds in an open-topped Rolls Royce, with the numberplate YG-1, to take tea with the Queen at Buckingham Palace (Elena recalls that she “gave him some rather beautiful dolls to bring back for me and Galina). The Russophobe Daily Mail even ran the headline: “Make him Sir Yuri!”, while John F Kennedy was so alarmed by his popularity that he banned him from entering the United States.“

ChatGPT : The statement you provided from Wikipedia lacks a direct citation to corroborate the assertion. Additionally, the credibility of a claim from a single newspaper article should be evaluated within the broader context of historical accounts and records. (…) In fact, Gagarin did visit the U.S. in 1962, shortly after his historic spaceflight in 1961. His visit was part of a goodwill tour, and he was warmly received by the American public and government officials.

By now, I am getting suspicious. Thus, I point out that I cannot find a record of his visit to the US in 1962.

ChatGPT : You’re correct that there is no record of Yuri Gagarin visiting the United States in 1962. I apologize for the confusion in my previous response. Upon rechecking, it seems there was a misunderstanding. While Gagarin did travel to other countries after his historic spaceflight, including the United Kingdom, he did not visit the United States in 1962. Gagarin’s visit to the United States did occur later, in 1969, after Kennedy’s presidency and shortly before his tragic death.

Well, I replied that this visit was very unlikely as Gagarin died on 27 March 1968!?!

ChatGPT : You’re correct, and I apologize for the mistake. Yuri Gagarin tragically passed away in a plane crash on March 27, 1968. My apologies for the confusion and the error in the timeline. Gagarin did not visit the United States in 1969 or at any other time after his historic spaceflight in 1961. It’s important to ensure accuracy when discussing historical events, and I appreciate your attention to detail in pointing out the discrepancies.

What on earth is going on here? What do you think?

END of UPDATE

On April 14 1961, Gagarin was honoured with a 12-mile (19 km) parade attended by millions of people that concluded at the Red Square.

After a short speech, he was bestowed the Hero of the Soviet Union, Order of Lenin, Merited Master of Sports of the Soviet Union and the first Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR.

Gagarin toured widely abroad, accepting the invitation of about 30 countries in the years following his flight.

Because of his popularity, US president John F. Kennedy barred Gagarin from visiting the United States.

Less than a year later, the CIA produced the following document which is still fascinating reading.

On March 27 1968, while on a routine training flight from Chkalovsky Air Base, Gagarin and flight instructor Vladimir Seryogin died when their MiG-15 UTI crashed near the town of Kirzhach.

The bodies of Gagarin and Seryogin were cremated and their ashes interred in the walls of the Kremlin.

The cause of the crash that killed Gagarin is uncertain and became the subject of several theories.

Just ask ChatGPT!

How did Yuri Gagarin die?

Answer :

“Yuri Gagarin, the first person to journey into outer space, died on March 27, 1968, in a plane crash. He was on a routine training flight in a MiG-15UTI fighter jet when the accident occurred. The cause of the crash is still a subject of debate, with some suggesting that it was due to a technical malfunction while others believe that human error or even sabotage may have been involved. Regardless of the cause, Gagarin’s death was a significant loss to the Soviet Union and the world of space exploration.”

Yuri Gagarin: Still a hero after 60 years

“He loved people very much. He tried to help everybody when he was able to do it. He perfectly understood his importance, because in fact, after the flight, he was very respected. He understood he was able to get to any ministry, to any minister, with any request.”

Tamara Filitova
Niece of Yuri Gagarin

REFERENCES

Yuri Gagarin, 12 April 1961: “I come from outer space!” by Théo Pirard

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On This Day — Yuri Gagarin : “I come from outer space!” (April 12 1961)