March 6, 2023
On this date 1937, Soviet Cosmonaut Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova was born. At only 26 years old, Tereshkova became the first woman to fly in space. Prior to travelling to space, she worked in a textile mill and trained as a parachutist, which aided in her cosmonaut selection. Following her spaceflight, Tereshkova continued to push for more women in the Soviet space program. Tereshkova remains the only woman of any nationality to complete a solo space flight.
Valentina Tereshkova seated with other Soviet pilots and cosmonauts. Image credit: Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics, Moscow