life:
On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard became the first American in space with the launch of the “Freedom 7” capsule at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
“Please, dear God, don’t let me f—- up,” is known among aviators as Shepard’s Prayer — although Shepard himself has said that he was misquoted, and all he really said was, “Don’t f—k up, Shepard.”
Reblogged from LIFE.
