Another repost – we often hear of our first astronauts – all men. Did you know the history of the women behind these successful men?
On May 5, 1961 Alan Shepard, Jr became the first American in space. Mercury-Redstone’s 15-minute flight was watched by some 45 million television viewers.
I was one of those eagerly watching. Our junior high school classes suspended the day’s teaching and brought in television sets so we could watch this great moment in history.
What exciting times! In the years following Americans continued to watch the launching of many rockets and learned the names of the astronauts who were heroes as the Mercury project launched six manned spacecraft between 1961 and 1963.
- Alan Shephard, Jr – first American in space in 1961.
- John Glenn – first American to orbit the earth in 1962.
- Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin – first to reach the moon in 1969.
Today these men’s names are easily recognized and recently a movie was even made about Neil Armstrong, whose first words as he stepped on…
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Grandma's Ramblings 