Edward White II (1930-1967) was an American astronaut and a member of the first astronaut class, known as the “Mercury Seven.” White was one of the first Americans to fly in space, and he played a key role in the development of the United States’ space program.
White was born on November 14, 1930, in San Antonio, Texas. He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point and later received a degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Michigan. After serving in the Air Force, White was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1959.
In June 1965, White became the first American to perform a spacewalk during the Gemini 4 mission. During the spacewalk, White spent over 20 minutes outside of the spacecraft, maneuvering himself using a handheld thruster gun.
White was also a member of the Apollo 1 crew, which was scheduled to be the first manned mission of the Apollo program. However, a fire broke out in the spacecraft during a ground test, and White and his fellow crew members, Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee, died in the accident.
White’s contributions to the United States’ space program were recognized posthumously, and he was awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1978. He is remembered as a pioneering astronaut and a hero of the American space program.