Valentina Tereshkova (March 6, 1937)

Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova is a retired Soviet cosmonaut, and was the very first woman in space, and the first civilian in space.

She was chosen from a pool of more than 400 applicants, who were then reduced down to 5 finalists.

The Mission

On June 16, 1963, she successfully piloted Vostok 6 into space for a 3 day mission. Her goal was to perform tests on her body and mental state in order to document the reaction to spaceflight on the female body.

Her Civilian Life

Before she was recruited and selected as a cosmonaut, Valentina Tereshkova was a worker in a textile factory, and an amateur parachutist.

Her Life after Being the First Woman in Space

The first group of female cosmonauts were disassembled in 1969. After that time, she became a member of the Soviet Communist Party. When the Soviet Union fell, Valentina Tereshkova retired from political life.

Tereshkova's role as the first woman in space makes her one of the most famous women in history.