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Celebrating 65 Years of American Astronauts
On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard became the first American astronaut to travel into space. The Verge commemorates this historic milestone in space exploration.
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The Verge
On the morning of May 5th, 1961, 37-year-old Alan Shepard woke up, ate a breakfast (consisting of a filet mignon wrapped in bacon, scrambled eggs, and orange juice), strapped into the Freedom 7 rocket, and blasted off into space, becoming the first American astronaut to do so. Shepard's historic fli
2026-05-05 16:15 UTC