Vostok 1 Carries Yuri Gagarin Around the World in 108 Minutes

Date: April 12, 1961 A.D.
Author: Yuri Gagarin, Russian Cosmonaut

Dear Journal,
     What a trip today on the Vostok. Although I am embarrassed to say it in public, I was terrified. In the beginning, it was fine. I reached space and became weightless, which gives a person a sense of freedom. It seemed as though my hands and legs did not belong to me. It was like a dream.

     On the horizon I could see the sharp contrasting change from the light surface of the Earth to the inky blackness of the sky. The Earth was filled with a lavish palette of colors. It had a pale blue halo around it. 
     Soon, the spacecraft plunged into the blackness of night at eighteen thousand miles an hour. 
     As the trip was completing however, the spacecraft went into a frightening spin. Adding to the spin, the equipment module did not separate from the command module for an unknown reason. This meant that the heat shield would be rendered useless and I would be fried in this can. Meanwhile, I was thrown about the spacecraft and starting to become very dizzy.
     Fortunately, the equipment module detached from my module and I would make i alive, but not feeling very well. I landed on a collective farm near the Volga river and was immediately congratulated by the premier Nikita Khruschev, who called me immortal. They plan to have a lavish parade for the flight in two days. 
     They are going to honor me with medals and boast about this great achievement, especially to the U.S. I am very glad that Korolev has fulfilled his dream of spaceflight, what a great achievement this is to him.