Video: 'First Woman in Space - 1963 | Today In History | 16 June 17'

(Sunday, June 16, 1963, 09:29:52 UTC; during the Space Race) — The world’s first female space traveler, Valentina Tereshkova, 26, was launched into orbit today by the Soviet Union aboard Vostok 6.

Tereshkova spent 71 hours in flight, circling the Earth 48 times before returning safely.

Video: 'Valentina Tereshkova - First Woman in Space Suits Up 1963'

She remains the only woman to have flown into space solo, and, at 26 years of age, the youngest.

Before her selection for the Soviet space program, Tereshkova was a textile factory worker and an amateur skydiver. She joined the Air Force as part of the Cosmonaut Corps and was commissioned as an officer after completing her training.