March 6, 1937

Valentina Tereshkova is a retired Soviet cosmonaut and was the first woman to fly in space, aboard Vostok 6 on June 16, 1963. She married cosmonaut Andrian Nikolayev in 1963. Tereshkova's life and spaceflight were examined in detail in the 2007 book "Into That Silent Sea" by Colin Burgess and Francis French, including interviews with Tereshkova and her colleagues. Tereshkova was invited to President Vladimir Putin's residence in Novo-Ogaryovo for the celebration of her 70th birthday. While there she said that she would like to fly to Mars, even if it meant that it was a one way trip.
Not only was Tereshkova the archetype of the New Soviet Woman, but she also demonstrated the physical stamina that her instructors knew would be essential to a successful flight.

Five women were commissioned lieutenants in the Soviet air force. When the time came for a decision, Tereshkova and Ponomareva were named the finalists. The ambitious original plan called for both women to go into space simultaneously, but when circumstances changed, Tereshkova -- being the more ideologically reliable -- got the nod.

She was launched into space aboard Vostok 6 on June 16, 1963, using the call sign "Chaika," or "Seagull." Although nauseous from the motion and the weightlessness, Tereshkova performed like the good Communist that she was, completing 48 orbits in just over 70 hours, logging more flight time than all the American astronauts who preceded her, combined.

Though there were difficulties during the flight -- Tereshkova may have suffered from emotional stress while in orbit, although she denied this during her debriefing -- that news came to light only later. By then, her mission -- to trumpet the achievements of socialism in space -- had been accomplished.

Tereshkova was made a Hero of the Soviet Union and became a member of the Supreme Soviet in 1966.

(Source: Various)