Vostok 1

===American reaction===

===American reaction===

Officially, the U.S. congratulated the Soviet Union on its accomplishments.{{cite episode |transcript=U.S. in Space |series=1961 Year in Review |network=[[United Press International|UPI]] Audio Network |transcript-url=http://www.upi.com/Audio/Year_in_Review/Events-of-1961/12295509433760-1}} Writing for ''[[The New York Times]]'' shortly after the flight, however, journalist [[Arthur Krock]] described mixed feelings in the United States due to fears of the spaceflight's potential military implications for the [[Cold War]],{{Cite news |last=Krock |first=Arthur |date=1961-04-14 |title=In The Nation; Concentration of Science on Outer Space |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1961/04/14/archives/in-the-nation-concentration-of-science-on-outer-space.html |access-date=2025-01-13 |newspaper=The New York Times |page=28 |issn=0362-4331 |quote=But because of the distrust that now exists among the great nations, and has plunged them into huge programs of deadly rearmament, an achievement by one which carries a clear and direct potential of military supremacy engenders fear of its use. ... And so it has become as impossible for either of the groups divided by the Cold War to welcome unreservedly such feats as Major Gagarin's in the opposite camp.}} and the ''[[Detroit Free Press]]'' wrote that "the people of Washington, London, Paris and all points between might have been dancing in the streets" if it were not for "doubts and suspicions" about Soviet intentions. Other US writers were concerned that the spaceflight had gained a propaganda victory on behalf of communism. President [[John F. Kennedy]] was quoted as saying that it would be "some time" before the US could match the Soviet [[launch vehicle]] technology, and that "the news will be worse before it's better", Kennedy also sent congratulations to the Soviet Union for their "outstanding technical achievement".{{Cite news |date=April 16, 1961 |title=Man in Space |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1961/04/16/archives/man-in-space.html |access-date=2025-01-13 |newspaper=The New York Times |page=E1 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news |last=Schwartz |first=Harry |date=1961-04-16 |title=MOSCOW: Flight Is Taken as Another Sign That Communism Is the Conquering Wave |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1961/04/16/archives/moscow-flight-is-taken-as-another-sign-that-communism-is-the.html |access-date=2025-01-13 |newspaper=The New York Times |page=E3 |issn=0362-4331}} Opinion pages of many US newspapers urged renewed efforts to overtake the Soviet scientific accomplishments.{{Cite news |date=April 16, 1961 |title=Opinion of the Week: At Home and Abroad |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1961/04/16/archives/opinion-of-the-week-at-home-and-abroad.html |access-date=2025-01-13 |newspaper=The New York Times |page=E11 |issn=0362-4331}} Quotes of reactions from many US and international sources.

Officially, the U.S. congratulated the Soviet Union on its accomplishments.{{cite episode |transcript=U.S. in Space |series=1961 Year in Review |network=[[United Press International|UPI]] Audio Network |transcript-url=http://www.upi.com/Audio/Year_in_Review/Events-of-1961/12295509433760-1}} Writing for ''[[The New York Times]]'' shortly after the flight, however, journalist [[Arthur Krock]] described mixed feelings in the United States due to fears of the spaceflight's potential military implications for the [[Cold War]], name="nyt-19610414">{{Cite news |last=Krock |first=Arthur |date=14 April 1961 |title=In The Nation; Concentration of Science on Outer Space |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1961/04/14/archives/in-the-nation-concentration-of-science-on-outer-space.html |url-access=subscription |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |page=28 |issn=0362-4331 |id={{ProQuest|115291486}} |access-date=13 January 2025 |quote=But because of the distrust that now exists among the great nations, and has plunged them into huge programs of deadly rearmament, an achievement by one which carries a clear and direct potential of military supremacy engenders fear of its use. ... And so it has become as impossible for either of the groups divided by the Cold War to welcome unreservedly such feats as Major Gagarin's in the opposite camp. }} and the ''[[Detroit Free Press]]'' wrote that "the people of Washington, London, Paris and all points between might have been dancing in the streets" if it were not for "doubts and suspicions" about Soviet intentions. Other US writers were concerned that the spaceflight had gained a propaganda victory on behalf of communism. President [[John F. Kennedy]] was quoted as saying that it would be "some time" before the US could match the Soviet [[launch vehicle]] technology, and that "the news will be worse before it's better", Kennedy also sent congratulations to the Soviet Union for their "outstanding technical achievement".{{Cite news |date=16 April 1961 |title=Man in Space |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1961/04/16/archives/man-in-space.html |url-access=subscription |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |page=E1 |issn=0362-4331 |id={{ProQuest|115377326}} |access-date=13 January 2025 }} name="nyt-19610416">{{Cite news |last=Schwartz |first=Harry |date=16 April 1961 |title=MOSCOW: Flight Is Taken as Another Sign That Communism Is the Conquering Wave |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1961/04/16/archives/moscow-flight-is-taken-as-another-sign-that-communism-is-the.html |url-access=subscription |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |page=E3 |issn=0362-4331 |id={{ProQuest|115399016}} |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250517122714/https://www.nytimes.com/1961/04/16/archives/moscow-flight-is-taken-as-another-sign-that-communism-is-the.html |archive-date=17 May 2025 |access-date=13 January 2025 }} Opinion pages of many US newspapers urged renewed efforts to overtake the Soviet scientific accomplishments.{{Cite news |date=16 April 1961 |title=Opinion of the Week: At Home and Abroad |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1961/04/16/archives/opinion-of-the-week-at-home-and-abroad.html |url-access=subscription |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |page=E11 |issn=0362-4331 |id={{ProQuest|115396500}} |access-date=13 January 2025 |quote=Quotes of reactions from many US and international sources. }}

[[Adlai Stevenson II|Adlai Stevenson]], then the US ambassador to the United Nations, was quoted as saying, "Now that the Soviet scientists have put a man into space and brought him back alive, I hope they will also help to bring the United Nations back alive", and on a more serious note urged international agreements covering the use of space (which did not occur until the [[Outer Space Treaty]] of 1967).

[[Adlai Stevenson II|Adlai Stevenson]], then the US ambassador to the United Nations, was quoted as saying, "Now that the Soviet scientists have put a man into space and brought him back alive, I hope they will also help to bring the United Nations back alive", and on a more serious note urged international agreements covering the use of space (which did not occur until the [[Outer Space Treaty]] of 1967).

Astronaut [[Alan Shepard]], who was originally scheduled to become the first person in space but had [[Mercury-Redstone 3|his mission]] delayed six times due to preparatory work, was infuriated by the news and slammed his fist down on a table.{{cite book |last=Thompson |first=Neal |author-link=Neal Thompson (writer) |url=https://archive.org/details/lightthiscandlel00thom |title=Light This Candle: The Life & Times of Alan Shepard, America's First Spaceman |date=2004 |publisher=Crown |isbn=0-609-61001-5 |edition=1st |location=New York |pages=282 |lccn=2003015688 |oclc=52631310}}

Astronaut [[Alan Shepard]], who was originally scheduled to become the first person in space but had [[Mercury-Redstone 3|his mission]] delayed six times due to preparatory work, was infuriated by the news and slammed his fist down on a table.{{Cite book |last=Thompson |first=Neal |author-link=Neal Thompson (writer) |year=2004 |location=New York |title=Light This Candle: The Life & Times of Alan Shepard, America's First Spaceman |edition=1st |publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group]] |page=282 |isbn=0-609-61001-5 |lccn=2003015688 |oclc=52631310 |ol=7585913M |id={{Internet Archive ID|lightthiscandlel00thom}} }}

===Other world reactions===

===Other world reactions===

===World records===

===World records===

[[Fédération Aéronautique Internationale|FAI]] officially recognized three space records claimed by Gagarin: duration in orbital flight—108 minutes, greatest altitude in earth orbital flight—{{convert|327|km|mi nmi}}, greatest mass lifted in earth orbital flight—{{convert|4725|kg|lb|}}.{{cite news |title=Space Marks Accorded To Gagarin and Shepard |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1961/07/23/118919502.html?pageNumber=35 |work=The New York Times |page=35 |date=23 July 1961}}{{Cite web |date=2021-03-22 |title='Let's go!' – FAI celebrates 60th Anniversary of Gagarin's space flight |url=https://www.fai.org/news/60th-anniversary-gagarin-space-flight |access-date=2022-07-18 |website=[[Fédération Aéronautique Internationale]]}}

[[Fédération Aéronautique Internationale|FAI]] officially recognized three space records claimed by Gagarin: duration in orbital flight—108 minutes, greatest altitude in earth orbital flight—{{convert|327|km|mi nmi}}, greatest mass lifted in earth orbital flight—{{convert|4725|kg|lb|}}. name="nyt-19610723">{{Cite news |date=23 July 1961 |title=Space Marks Accorded To Gagarin and Shepard |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1961/07/23/118919502.html?pageNumber=35 |url-access=subscription |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |page=35 |issn=0362-4331 |id={{ProQuest|115291850}} }}{{Cite web |date=2021-03-22 |title='Let's go!' – FAI celebrates 60th Anniversary of Gagarin's space flight |url=https://www.fai.org/news/60th-anniversary-gagarin-space-flight |access-date=2022-07-18 |website=[[Fédération Aéronautique Internationale]]}}

The [[Fédération Aéronautique Internationale|FAI]] rules in 1961 required that a pilot must land with the spacecraft to be considered an official spaceflight for the FAI record books.{{r|siddiqi2000}}{{Reference page|page=283}} Although some contemporary Soviet sources stated that Gagarin had parachuted separately to the ground,{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,895299,00.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204133301/http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,895299,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 4, 2013 |title=The Cruise of the Vostok |magazine=Time |date=April 21, 1961 |access-date=November 5, 2011}} the Soviet Union officially insisted that he had landed with the Vostok; the government forced the cosmonaut to lie in press conferences, and the FAI certified the flight. The Soviet Union did not admit until 1971 that Gagarin had ejected and landed separately from the Vostok descent module.{{r|siddiqi2000}}{{Reference page|page=283}} Gagarin's spaceflight records were nonetheless certified and reaffirmed by the FAI, which revised its rules, and acknowledged that the crucial steps of the safe launch, orbit, and return of the pilot had been accomplished.{{Cite web |url=https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/why-yuri-gagarin-remains-first-man-space-even-though-he-did-not-land-inside-his |title=Why Yuri Gagarin remains the first man in space, even though he did not land inside his spacecraft |last=Lewis |first=Cathleen |date=12 April 2010 |website=National Air and Space Museum |access-date=12 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190618085443/https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/why-yuri-gagarin-remains-first-man-space-even-though-he-did-not-land-inside-his |archive-date=18 June 2019 |url-status=live}} Gagarin is internationally recognised as the first human in space and first to orbit the Earth.{{cite news |date=12 April 2021 |title=Yuri Gagarin: Who was the first person in space? |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/56718196 |access-date=13 July 2022 |website=BBC News}}

The [[Fédération Aéronautique Internationale|FAI]] rules in 1961 required that a pilot must land with the spacecraft to be considered an official spaceflight for the FAI record books.{{r|siddiqi2000}}{{Reference page|page=283}} Although some contemporary Soviet sources stated that Gagarin had parachuted separately to the ground,{{Cite magazine |date=21 April 1961 |title=The Cruise of the Vostok |url=https://time.com/archive/6830304/science-the-cruise-of-the-vostok/ |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|TIME]] |volume=77 |issue=17 |pages=46-52 |id={{EBSCOhost|54204432}} |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241205050157/https://time.com/archive/6830304/science-the-cruise-of-the-vostok/ |archive-date=5 December 2024 |access-date=5 November 2011 }} the Soviet Union officially insisted that he had landed with the Vostok; the government forced the cosmonaut to lie in press conferences, and the FAI certified the flight. The Soviet Union did not admit until 1971 that Gagarin had ejected and landed separately from the Vostok descent module.{{r|siddiqi2000}}{{Reference page|page=283}} Gagarin's spaceflight records were nonetheless certified and reaffirmed by the FAI, which revised its rules, and acknowledged that the crucial steps of the safe launch, orbit, and return of the pilot had been accomplished.{{Cite web |url=https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/why-yuri-gagarin-remains-first-man-space-even-though-he-did-not-land-inside-his |title=Why Yuri Gagarin remains the first man in space, even though he did not land inside his spacecraft |last=Lewis |first=Cathleen |date=12 April 2010 |website=National Air and Space Museum |access-date=12 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190618085443/https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/why-yuri-gagarin-remains-first-man-space-even-though-he-did-not-land-inside-his |archive-date=18 June 2019 |url-status=live}} Gagarin is internationally recognised as the first human in space and first to orbit the Earth.{{cite news |date=12 April 2021 |title=Yuri Gagarin: Who was the first person in space? |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/56718196 |access-date=13 July 2022 |website=BBC News}}

===Legacy===

===Legacy===