<P> Service in the Air Force made us strong, both physically and morally . All of us cosmonauts took up sports and PT seriously when we served in the Air Force . I know that Yuri Gagarin was fond of ice hockey . He liked to play goal keeper...I don't think I am wrong when I say that sports became a fixture in the life of the cosmonauts . </P> <P> In addition to being a keen ice hockey player, Gagarin was also a basketball fan, and coached the Saratov Industrial Technical School team, as well as being a referee . </P> <P> On 12 April 1961, the Vostok 3KA - 3 (Vostok 1) spacecraft with Gagarin aboard was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome . Gagarin thus became both the first human to travel into space, and the first to orbit the Earth . His call sign was Kedr (Russian: Кедр, Siberian pine or Cedar). </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Poyekhali! Gagarin's voice </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Problems playing this file? See media help . </Td> </Tr> </Table>

When was the first person sent to space