First human spacewalk by Alexei Leonov (March 18), March 18, 1965. On this date, Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov became the first person to exit a spacecraft and conduct a spacewalk. This event was part of the Voskhod 2 mission, designed to advance space technology and demonstrate the Soviet Union’s capabilities during the space race with the United States. Leonov spent approximately 12 minutes and 9 seconds outside the spacecraft, tethered by a safety line. He moved about 5 meters away from Voskhod 2, facing challenges such as the ballooning of his spacesuit and difficulties re-entering the airlock. Despite these obstacles, Leonov successfully returned to the spacecraft. This milestone marked a turning point in the history of space exploration and opened a new era for human activity beyond Earth. Leonov’s spacewalk is recognized as a major achievement of the Soviet space program and had a significant impact on the development of space technologies and subsequent missions. The event is often noted in calendars as a reminder of twentieth-century scientific and technological progress. This date was added to the Gregorian calendar in 1965 to commemorate the historic significance of the first human spacewalk.
