But on April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space, and the first to orbit the Earth.
bˌʌt ˌɔn ˈeɪpɹəl twˈɛlv, nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti wˈʌn, sˈoʊviət kˈɑːzmənˌɔːt jˈuːɹi ɡˈæɡɚɹˌɪn bɪkˌeɪm ðə fˈɜːst pˈɜːsən ɪn spˈeɪs, ænd ðə fˈɜːst tʊ ˈɔːɹbɪt ðɪ ˈɜːθ.