Yuri Gagarin died 50 years ago, on March 27, 1968, less than seven years after he made history by becoming the first person to fly into space.
During what should have been a routine practice flight, Gagarin's MiG-15UTI fighter plane crashed near the town of Kirzhach outside Moscow, killing him and co-pilot Vladimir Seryogin.
On March 30, 1968, thousands of mourners gathered in Moscow's Red Square for the funeral of a national hero.
(Originally published on March 27, 2013)
During what should have been a routine practice flight, Gagarin's MiG-15UTI fighter plane crashed near the town of Kirzhach outside Moscow, killing him and co-pilot Vladimir Seryogin.
On March 30, 1968, thousands of mourners gathered in Moscow's Red Square for the funeral of a national hero.
(Originally published on March 27, 2013)
