Today, 20 February 2007, is the 45th anniversary of Americans in orbit. On 20 February 1962, John Glenn was launched in Freedom 7 aboard an Atlas rocket. His brief trip made the United States the second country (after the now-defunct USSR) to launch a man into space. Less than eight years later, we had men walking on the Moon.
In honor of the anniversary, NASA has produced a half-hour program airing on NASA TV and also available on the NASA web site. NASA has also produced an interactive program which includes new interviews with Glenn, Scott Carpenter, and Wally Schirra, which is available at www.nasa.gov/mercury.