Alan Shepard was an American astronaut and the first American to travel to space. He was born on November 18, 1923 in East Derry, New Hampshire. He received his Bachelor’s degree in naval science from the United States Naval Academy in 1944 and later became a naval aviator.
Shepard was selected as one of the original seven Mercury astronauts in 1959 and trained for the first manned space flight. On May 5, 1961, he flew aboard the Freedom 7 spacecraft, becoming the second person to orbit the Earth.
After his successful space flight, Shepard continued to work with NASA and was later selected to command the Apollo 14 mission in 1971. This mission was the third manned mission to the moon and Shepard became the fifth person to walk on the lunar surface.
In addition to his work as an astronaut, Shepard also served as the Chief of the Astronaut Office and later as the Chief of the Space Shuttle Branch. He retired from NASA in 1974 and died on July 21, 1998 at the age of 74.