Gagarin

American  

[gah-gahr-in, guh-, guh-gah-ryin] / gɑˈgɑr ɪn, gə-, gʌˈgɑ ryɪn /

noun

1. Yuri Alekseyevich 1934–68, Russian astronaut: first human being to make an orbital space flight (1961).

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Gagarin British  

/ ɡaˈɡarin /

noun

1. Yuri (ˈjurɪ). 1934–68, Soviet cosmonaut: made the first manned space flight (1961)

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Example Sentences

But Lier acknowledged there were "vintage" and "moving" aspects of the launchpad because it is so similar to the Baikonur Cosmodrome, where the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin, launched from in 1961.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

But the Soviets successfully sent the first person into space when Yuri Gagarin completed an orbit of Earth.

From Slate • Aug. 1, 2025

In all, about 700 people have been to space, since the earliest in 1961, when Yuri Gagarin from the then-Soviet Union became the first cosmic explorer.

From BBC • Dec. 30, 2024

Semen Gagarin, a 33-year-old manager at a honey-producing company, said he did not think the campaign would change the minds of those who refuse to serve.

From New York Times • Mar. 30, 2024

That night, in a cottage near the launch pad, a twenty-seven-year-old fighter pilot named Yuri Gagarin lay still in a wooden bunk, pretending to be asleep.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin