Valentina Tereshkova was born in 1937, March 6, in the village of Tutaevsky Yaroslavl region - Big Maslennikovo. She grew up in a family of peasant farmers. His father worked as a tractor driver and his mother - a textile factory worker. In 1939, Valentina dad died in the war, and the mother of three children raised by one.
When the family moved to Yaroslavl, Valya went to school and graduated seven years, and in 1956 she enrolled in the Correspondence College of Light Industry. In addition to attending college girl flying club and enjoys skydiving, the mother did not approve of his daughter and occupation was trying to dissuade her from this pastime. Locked the house, not letting the airfield.
In 1962, Valentina Tereshkova was enrolled in the cosmonaut. Its mission rocket "Vostok - 6" it made from 16 to 19 June 1963, the total duration was 2 days, 22 hours and 50 minutes. About his journey into space Valentine said nothing mother, and said that he was going to competitions parachutists. Only after the flight home all learned from the news.
She is a legendary woman, the only commander of the spaceship female. American female astronaut to fly, but as crew, and Valentine was one.
After Tereshkova made her flight, she continued training of astronauts, but mainly engaged in social work, she worked in public organizations, defended her doctoral thesis. Journalists dubbed Valentina "first feminist of the USSR."
She was married twice, first husband - Andrian Nikolayev, Tereshkova before the divorce was wearing a hyphenated name. In 1964, she gave birth to daughter Elena. Second husband - Julius Shaposhnikov, they lived together for nearly 20 years. Julius was an excellent surgeon.
Valentina Tereshkova was awarded various titles and titles awarded dozens of medals and five medals, including Major General and Hero of the Soviet Union. Besides the fact that it is - an honorary citizen of many foreign countries, she put two of the monument. In 2000, Tereshkova was awarded the title "Woman of the Century".
During a private meeting with Vladimir Putin in 2007, she admitted that she would like to go on an expedition to Mars, and even ready to fly there without replacement. Valentina Tereshkova - the great woman who has made an enormous contribution to the science of our planet.