Daily Curiosityby Erudico

Same year · Question

In 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. Which barrier was built in Europe the same year?

Answer

The Berlin Wall

The story behind the answer

The Berlin Wall is correct: in August 1961, East German authorities, backed by the Soviet Union, abruptly erected barriers and barbed wire through Berlin to stop the massive flow of people fleeing from East to West. It quickly became a fortified concrete wall and the defining symbol of the Cold War’s division of Europe.

Context to remember it: 1961 was a year of dramatic contrasts—while Yuri Gagarin broke the bounds of Earth as the first human in space, Europe built a wall to keep people in. The “Iron Curtain” was a metaphor, not a single wall; the “Great Wall of London” doesn’t exist; and the Eiffel Tower wasn’t expanded then.

More to discover

In 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis took place. Which African country gained independence that year? In 1969, humans first landed on the Moon. Which major music festival took place the same year? In 1973, the oil crisis began. Which Middle Eastern war occurred that same year? In 1975, the Vietnam War ended. Which European country began its democratic transition that year?