First United States astronauts (Mercury Seven) were appointed in 1959. All seven original astronauts (Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton) were men, and they were all in the military. Children could investigate present astronaut requirements. Who are some of our present astronauts? How have astronaut requirements changed since the beginning of the program? Children could learn more at: Mercury Seven.
Felicia Bond (born Yokohama, Japan, 1954) is a writer and illustrator of books for children. She illustrates the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie series. Her written works include Tumble Bumble and Poinsettia and her Family. Children could visit an interesting website at Mouse.
John Glenn
John Glenn (born Cambridge, Ohio, 1921; died Columbus, Ohio, December 8, 2016) in 1962 was the first American astronaut to circle the earth. He traveled into space again in 1998 as a payload specialist on a shuttle mission. He was also a United States senator from Ohio from 1974 to 1999. Older children could learn more at: John Glenn.
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela (born Mvezo, South Africa, 1918; died Johannesburg, South Africa, December 5, 2013) was the son of a tribal chief. He became a lawyer and then joined the African National Congress. He was incarcerated for 28 years because he spoke out against apartheid. He was released in 1990, and he served as president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He received the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize. Children could read Nelson Mandela, written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson.
Jerry Stanley (born Highland Park, Michigan, 1941) writes books for children. His works include Children of the Dustbowl: The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp and Cowboys and Longhorns.
Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Yevtushenko (born Zimma, Russia, 1933; died Tulsa, Oklahoma, April 1, 2017) was a poet and novelist.
John Glenn in 1998
John Glenn in 1998 traveled on the space shuttle Discovery. At 77 years old, he was the oldest person to travel in space at that time. The shuttle returned to earth on November 7, 1998. He had been one of the original seven astronauts and had orbited the earth in 1962. Children could learn more at: John Glenn.
Enos in 1961 became the first US chimpanzee to survive orbital flight. He was part of Mercury Atlas 5, which orbited twice around the world before it splashed into the ocean near Puerto Rico. The flight was a precursor to one where John Glenn orbited the earth. Children can read about animals in the space program at: Space Animals.