[Repeal The 17th]

1st American in space.
He flew 116 miles high.
The entire flight lasted about 15 ½ minutes.
https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/nasa-knows/who-was-alan-shepard-k4.html

10 years later he would walk on the moon.

[Seruzawa]

Not the first. X-15 pilots flew over 100 miles high and had to use reaction jets to correct aircraft alignment.

The Redstone launch was still a great achievement. I remember listening to it on the radio at school in the 7th grade.

[MtnClimber]

1st American in space.....10 years later he would walk on the moon.

That was incredible technology development in 10 years!