Russia is marking the 75th birthday of the first woman in space, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova.
Tereshkova, who was born to a peasant family in the Yaroslavl region of central Russia, trained as a parachutist before being selected as one of five women to train with the Soviet space program.
She made international headlines in June 1963 when her Vostok-6 space capsule successfully completed 48 orbits around the Earth in a space flight lasting nearly three days.
PHOTO GALLERY -- A Look Back At Tereshkova's Career:
Russian Prime Minister and President-elect Vladimir Putin congratulated Tereshkova, saying she had "left an unforgettable page in the chronicles of conquering space."
Tereshkova is reportedly celebrating her birthday at Russia's State Duma, where she has been serving as a deputy with the ruling United Russia party since December.
Tereshkova, who was born to a peasant family in the Yaroslavl region of central Russia, trained as a parachutist before being selected as one of five women to train with the Soviet space program.
She made international headlines in June 1963 when her Vostok-6 space capsule successfully completed 48 orbits around the Earth in a space flight lasting nearly three days.
PHOTO GALLERY -- A Look Back At Tereshkova's Career:
Russia Marks 50th Anniversary Of First Woman In Space
Russian Prime Minister and President-elect Vladimir Putin congratulated Tereshkova, saying she had "left an unforgettable page in the chronicles of conquering space."
Tereshkova is reportedly celebrating her birthday at Russia's State Duma, where she has been serving as a deputy with the ruling United Russia party since December.