On this day - 16 June
Historical items of interest as featured in the papers of the day.
First woman in space
On June 16th 1963 Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space. Before becoming an astronaut, she was working in a textile factory. She was selected for the space program thanks in part to her experience as an amateur skydiver. While in space she orbited the Earth 48 times.
She reached the rank of major general before retiring from the Air Force in 1997. Following this, she moved into politics and is currently a member of the State Duma, one of the houses of the Russian Federal Assembly.
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