March 31

Grigory Nelyubov was born in 1934 and served as a distinguished Soviet Air Force pilot. In 1960, he was chosen as one of the first cosmonaut candidates for the pioneering Vostok program. He trained extensively for human spaceflight and served as backup for Yuri Gagarin's historic mission. In 1962, he was dismissed from the cosmonaut corps following disciplinary issues. Although he never flew to space, his early work contributed to the Soviet space efforts. Nelyubov died in 1966 in an aircraft accident at the age of 32.

Born in 1965 in Nevers, France, Jean-Christophe Lafaille became renowned for his lightweight approach to high-altitude climbing. He achieved solo, oxygen-free ascents of Shishapangma and Makalu and was the first to climb three 8,000-meter peaks solo. His daring expeditions included winter attempts on K2 and memorable climbs in Patagonia. In 2006, Lafaille disappeared on descent from Nuptse, cementing his legacy as one of the boldest alpinists of his generation.