On This Day

Alexander Volkov, Sergei Krikalev & Jean-Loup Chretien launch

Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalev is a Russian mechanical engineer and former cosmonaut.

Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalev is a Russian mechanical engineer and former cosmonaut. He is a veteran of six spaceflights, including two long-duration missions to Mir, two short-duration missions aboard NASA's Space Shuttle, and two long-duration missions to the International Space Station (ISS). On STS-60, he became the first Russian cosmonaut to fly on the Shuttle, and on STS-88, he helped connect the first Russian and American ISS segments—becoming, alongside mission commander Robert Cabana, one of the first people to enter the station. He later joined the ISS's first long-duration crew, Expedition 1, and returned as commander of Expedition 11.

Krikalev is sometimes referred to as the "last Soviet citizen," having been aboard Mir during the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Historical Significance

Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalev is a Russian mechanical engineer and former cosmonaut.

Events Before

  1. 60 bodies are recovered from the Dupont Plaza Hotel fire in Puerto Rico

    60 bodies are recovered from the Dupont Plaza Hotel fire in Puerto Rico

  2. Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

    Aretha Louise Franklin ( ə-REE-thə; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist.

  3. Astronomers at the University of California witness the first observation of the birth of a galaxy

    Astronomers at the University of California witness the first observation of the birth of a galaxy

  4. Opera impresario Sir Rudolf Bing (85) weds Carroll Douglass (45); annulled in September, 1989

    Opera impresario Sir Rudolf Bing (85) weds Carroll Douglass (45); annulled in September, 1989

  5. Pennsylvania politician R. Budd Dwyer shoots and kills himself at a press conference on live national television, sparki

    Pennsylvania politician R. Budd Dwyer shoots and kills himself at a press conference on live national television, sparking debate about the boundaries of journalism

Events After

  1. Fall of the Berlin Wall

    The Berlin Wall falls as East Germany opens its borders, symbolizing the end of the Cold War and the beginning of German reunification.

  2. Year of the Young Reader begins

    Batman Begins is a 2005 superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman. Directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with David S.

  3. British comedy sketch series "A Bit of Fry and Laurie", starring Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, debuts on BBC1

    A Bit of Fry & Laurie is a British sketch comedy television series written by and starring former Cambridge Footlights members Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, broadcast on both BBC1 and BBC2 between…

  4. Poland's communist government begins "Round Table" talks with the Solidarity trade union and its leader Lech Wałęsa in a

    Poland's communist government begins "Round Table" talks with the Solidarity trade union and its leader Lech Wałęsa in an attempt to ease growing social unrest

  5. NBA power forward Charles Barkley (26) weds legal aide Maureen Blumhardt in Elkton, Maryland

    NBA power forward Charles Barkley (26) weds legal aide Maureen Blumhardt in Elkton, Maryland

More from the 1980s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on November 26, 1988?
Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalev is a Russian mechanical engineer and former cosmonaut. He is a veteran of six spaceflights, including two long-duration missions to Mir, two short-duration missions aboard NASA's Space Shuttle, and two long-duration missions to the International Space Station (ISS). On STS-60, he became the first Russian cosmonaut to fly on the Shuttle, and on STS-88, he helped connect the first Russian and American ISS segments—becoming, alongside mission commander Robert Cabana, one of the first people to enter the station.
Why is Alexander Volkov, Sergei Krikalev & Jean-Loup Chretien launch significant?
Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalev is a Russian mechanical engineer and former cosmonaut.

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