Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, is today a deputy in the State Duma.
First Woman In Space Turns 75
Russia is marking the 75th birthday of the first woman in space, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova.
Tereshkova, who was born to a peasant family in the Yaroslavl region of central Russia, trained as a parachutist before being selected as one of five women to train with the Soviet space program.
She made international headlines in June 1963 when her Vostok-6 space capsule successfully completed 48 orbits around the Earth in a space flight lasting nearly three days.
PHOTO GALLERY -- A Look Back At Tereshkova's Career:
Photo Gallery:
Russia Marks 50th Anniversary Of First Woman In Space
Russia is marking the 50th anniversary of the first spaceflight by a woman, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova. She made international headlines on June 16, 1963, when her Vostok-6 space capsule blasted off. She successfully completed 48 orbits around the Earth in a space flight lasting nearly three days. (16 PHOTOS)
Russian Prime Minister and President-elect Vladimir Putin congratulated Tereshkova, saying she had "left an unforgettable page in the chronicles of conquering space."
Tereshkova is reportedly celebrating her birthday at Russia's State Duma, where she has been serving as a deputy with the ruling United Russia party since December.
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