Valentina Tereshkova

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Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova is a retired Russian cosmonaut and politician born on March 6, 1937. She remains a prominent figure as the first woman to have flown in space after being selected from over four hundred applicants and five finalists to pilot Vostok 6 on June 16, 1963. Completing 48 orbits of Earth during her three days in space. To join the Cosmonaut Corps, Tereshkova was honorarily inducted into the Soviet Air Force, making her the first civilian to fly in space. Prior to being recruited as a cosmonaut, she worked at a textile factory assembling fabrics and parachuted recreationally. Following the disbanding of the initial group of female cosmonauts in 1969, Tereshkova became an influential member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, holding various positions. She remained actively involved in politics after the collapse of the Soviet Union and is still regarded as a hero in post-Soviet Russia. In 2013, she expressed willingness to embark on a one-way trip to Mars if given the chance. At the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics, she proudly carried the Olympic Flag.