Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova was launched into space aboard the Vostok 6 on 16 June 1963, she was becoming the first woman who visited outer space. Valentina Tereshkova spent three days aloft before returning safely to earth. The outer space flight made Tereshkova a national hero and she was awarded the high honor of the Order of Lenin. Her flight was considered a scientific coup for the Soviet Union, which also had the first man (Yuri Gagarin) and the first dog (Laika) in space. Before her flight Tereshkova had been an avid amateur skydiver, which led to her selection for the cosmonaut corps.
Tereshkova married fellow cosmonaut Andrian Nikolayev in 1963; they had one daughter together but later separated. She was president of the Committee of Soviet Women (1968–86) and a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1971).
* Name: Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova
* Born: 6 March 1937
* Birthplace: Maslennikovo, Russia
* Best Known As: The first woman in space
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