On May 5, 1961, Navy Commander Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. is launched into space aboard the Freedom 7 space capsule, becoming the first American astronaut to travel into space. The suborbital flight, which lasted 15 minutes and reached a height of 116 miles into the atmosphere, was a major triumph for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Track astronauts and Alan Shepard at the library, on hoopla and in OverDrive.
On May 5, 1962, The Shirelles’ “Soldier Boy” becomes their first #1 hit, topping the charts for three weeks. Find the Shirelles on hoopla and Freegal.