NASA Selects Mercury Seven: America Enters the Space Race
NASA announced the selection of its first seven astronauts, a group the press immediately christened the "Mercury Seven." This roster launched the American human spaceflight program and set the specific trajectory for the nation's race against the Soviet Union to reach orbit.
April 9, 1959
67 years ago
Key Figures & Places
NASA
Wikipedia
Project Mercury
Wikipedia
Astronaut
Wikipedia
Mercury program
Wikipedia
Mercury Seven
Wikipedia
Project Mercury
Wikipedia
NASA
Wikipedia
Astronaut
Wikipedia
Mercury Seven
Wikipedia
Alan Shepard
Wikipedia
Gus Grissom
Wikipedia
John Glenn
Wikipedia
Scott Carpenter
Wikipedia
Wally Schirra
Wikipedia
Deke Slayton
Wikipedia
Gordon Cooper
Wikipedia
United States
Wikipedia
What Else Happened on April 9
A legion in Illyricum shouted "Severus Augustus!" before anyone else knew the old emperor was dead. They didn't wait for the Senate; they grabbed a sword and cl…
The Pannonian legions hailed Septimius Severus as emperor, effectively launching a brutal civil war against the incumbent Didius Julianus. This bold military co…
Sixteen legions marched out of Illyricum, not to defend the frontier, but to burn down the old guard. While Commodus lay dead in Rome, Severus's soldiers realiz…
He handed out a letter promising peace by erasing the word "two natures." Emperor Basiliscus, backed by his wife and the powerful Patriarch Peter the Fuller, de…
1,600 cavalrymen arrived, mostly Huns and Slavs with bows that could punch through Gothic armor. Belisarius didn't wait for supplies to fill his bellies; he str…
Mongol tumens crushed a coalition of Polish and German knights at the Battle of Liegnitz, securing a total tactical victory through superior mobility and feigne…
Talk to History
Have a conversation with historical figures who witnessed this era. Ask questions, explore perspectives, and bring history to life.