1961: "U.S. Puts Man Into Space"

RSS Archive

For 120 years, The Denver Post has been Colorado's media leader. Adapting to the changing media market, The Post has transformed itself from a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper into a multimedia news and information source.

The Denver Post tumbelog is curated primarily by Daniel J. Schneider. Contact Dan by email or on Twitter if you have questions or comments. We also curate photos of mountains, especially the Colorado Rocky Mountains, at MountainPorn.

Ask us a question

May 5, 2011

1961: “U.S. Puts Man Into Space”

This was the headline on the front page of the Friday, May 5, 1961, Denver Post. A sample of the story:

15-Minute Ride Ends Perfectly

Steel-nerved Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. rode a rocket into space Friday, exclaimed “what a beautiful sight” as he looked down on the earth, and then dropped to a safe landing in the Atlantic Ocean.

To the 37-year-old Navy commander, the adventure obviously was no more frightening than many earlier flights he had made in hot experimental aircraft.

Today is the 50th anniversary of Alan Shepard’s historic flight aboard his Gemini capsule, Freedom 7.

2:44pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Ze2xjx4tR34K

(Notes: 8)