[sashavingardt2]

He was the first man to come back from space alive (disclaimer: two members of my family worked for the space program) and what's really peculiar about his case is that he was chosen not only based on his undoubtedly stellar qualifications as a pilot but also because he was a handsome chap.

[blululu]

Everything I’ve read about Gagarin suggests that he was a phenomenal person. People liked him as a person. He was both smart and kind. Add in his personal bio and it’s not hard to see why the Soviet leaders picked him.

[cuspycode]

There was also the purely physical qualification that he was only 157 cm tall. Size matters when sending payloads to space.

[dennis_jeeves]

Damn, it bothers me that your comment was down voted. Are there no consequences for those who unjustly down vote?

In fact considering what I know of dictatorship regimes you could be right. They are generally big on showmanship and public image, with scant regard for human life.

[sashavingardt2]

Absolutely. It was all about PR. Still is but no substance to back it up in the least.