1961 – Alan Shepard became the second person and the first American in space on this date, lifting off from Cape Canaveral during the Freedom 7 mission aboard a Mercury Redstone rocket. The suborbital flight lasted only 15 minutes and traveled a downrange distance of 263.1 nautical miles. Shepard splashed down safely in the Atlantic near the Bahamas and was airlifted to an awaiting aircraft carrier.

Where were you on this historic day?