August 04

Born in 1476 in Guetaria, Spain, Elcano took command of the Victoria after Ferdinand Magellan’s death. He led the remaining crew across the Indian Ocean, around the Cape of Good Hope, and back to Spain. His voyage (1519–1522) proved the world could be circled by sea, altering maritime trade routes. Elcano was honored by Emperor Charles V with a coat of arms featuring the globe and motto 'Primus Circumdedisti Me'. His journey provided invaluable data on wind patterns and navigation. Elcano died in 1526 during a later expedition to the Pacific.

Yury Artyukhin was born in 1930 and graduated from the Military Engineering Academy before joining the Soviet Air Force. He was selected as a cosmonaut in 1963 and trained extensively for spaceflight. In 1974, Artyukhin flew as flight engineer aboard the Soyuz 14 mission to the Salyut 3 space station, conducting experiments on the effects of microgravity and space radiation. His engineering background was key to operating complex spacecraft systems and performing technical research in orbit. Artyukhin also held the rank of colonel, reflecting his military career and leadership within the cosmonaut corps. After his mission, he contributed to training future cosmonauts and developing space hardware. He was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union for his service. Artyukhin died in 1998, remembered for his role in advancing human space exploration.