Posted by
paddy o'furniture on Monday, May 05, 2008 2:53:54 PM
On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard became the first American in space aboard Freedom 7. True, it was only a parabolic, sub-orbital 15 minutes, but what a difference it made to American morale! I was not yet 4 years old, but I remember it. My memory was a little clearer for John Glenn's subsequent earth orbit some time later, but for a little kid this was something special.
I had countless space toys when I was young, built plastic models of the rockets, etc. When Gemini came along, I was in my element, and when Apollo 11 was launched, you couldn't have disturbed me with a cattle prod.
All made possible by this one small step, and the courage of the Mercury 7 led by Alan B. Shepard....47 years ago today.