Yuri Gagarin visits Manchester, 12 July 1961

The chance to see the most famous man in the world draws crowds of people on a rainy day.

The chance to see the most famous man in the world - the first man in space - draws huge crowds in Manchester for this once in a lifetime event. On his visit to the city, a smiling Gagarin clearly charms everyone he meets, and he touchingly speaks of his own ambitions, and hopes for future space exploration. Sadly, Gagarin was to die in a plane crash in1968 before he could fulfil these dreams.