Alan Shepard
The first American to breach the frontier of space and, a decade later, a golfer on the dusty plains of the Moon.
1923–1998 (age 75)·American astronaut and lunar explorer·Birthday: November 18·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Alan Shepard's story is one of explosive triumph, agonizing delay, and ultimate redemption. In 1961, squeezed into the Freedom 7 capsule, he became America's first space traveler, a 15-minute suborbital hop that answered the Soviet challenge. Poised to lead an early Moon mission, he was grounded for years by an inner-ear disorder, watching as others flew the Gemini missions. His relentless determination led to an experimental surgery that corrected the issue, and he fought his way back to command Apollo 14. At age 47, the oldest astronaut in the program, he walked on the lunar surface, famously hitting two golf balls with a makeshift six-iron. Shepard's career bookends the Apollo era, defined by a fighter-pilot's grit that refused to accept being sidelined.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Alan was born in 1923, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1923
#1 Movie
The Covered Wagon
Alan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1923Born
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1928Started school
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1936Became a teenager
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1939Could drive
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1941Could vote
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1944Turned 21
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1953Turned 30
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1963Turned 40
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 50
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 60
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 70
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1998Died at 75
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
Key Achievements
- Piloted the Freedom 7 mission on May 5, 1961, becoming the first American to travel into space.
- Commanded the Apollo 14 mission, the third successful lunar landing, and walked on the Moon's surface.
- Served as Chief of the Astronaut Office from 1963 to 1969, overseeing crew assignments and training.
- Was awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor for his pioneering contributions to spaceflight.
Did You Know?
He smuggled a makeshift golf club head and balls aboard Apollo 14 and took his famous 'moon shots' with a modular equipment handle as a club.
Before becoming an astronaut, he was a Navy test pilot and graduated from the Naval War College.
He was the only one of the original Mercury Seven astronauts to walk on the Moon.
His Freedom 7 spacecraft is on display at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.
“It's a very sobering feeling to be up in space and realize that one's safety factor was determined by the lowest bidder on a government contract.”
