Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman in space.
Tereshkova, a Soviet cosmonaut, achieved this historic feat on June 16, 1963, aboard the Vostok 6 mission. She was chosen from over 400 applicants to become the first female space traveler, and at the time of her flight, she was only 26 years old. Her pioneering journey paved the way for countless other women to explore the cosmos.