Born August 5, 1930 (Wapakoneta, Ohio)

American astronaut

In 1957, the former Soviet Union launched the first Sputnik satellite (an object that orbits in space) to study the atmosphere of Earth, sending shock waves through American society. Since the end of World War II (1939–45), the United States and the Soviet Union had been engaged in a period of hostile relations known as the Cold War (1945–91). Not only were the two powers involved in an arms race for military superiority, but they were also competing for dominance in space. The Sputnik satellites were therefore a sign that the Soviet Union was moving ahead in the Cold War. In 1958 the United States responded by creating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which combined U.S. space research agencies and established an astronaut training program. Then, in the early 1960s, President John F. Kennedy (1917–1963; served 1961–63) made a pledge to put an...