Flight of the 'seagull': Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space 63 years ago today

On June 16, 1963, Valentina Tereshkova, a 26-year-old textile worker, became the first woman in space aboard Vostok 6. Her flight, a political statement by Nikita Khrushchev, lasted nearly three days, completing 48 orbits. Tereshkova's achievement, despite lacking formal pilot or engineering training, was celebrated globally, though she never flew again.

By AADRITA HALDER