On April 9, 1962, Puerto Rican actress Rita Moreno become the first Hispanic woman to win an Oscar, for her role of Anita in West Side
Story (1961).
Moreno, who was born in Puerto Rico in 1931 and grew up in Long Island, New York, began acting at a young age, landing her first Broadway role at the age of 13. She will turn 91 in December.
From Top Left: Alan B. Shepard, Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, L.
Gordon Cooper
Bottom Left: Wally Schirra, Donald K. "Deke" Slayton, John
Glenn and Scott Carpenter.
On April 9, 1959, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) introduced America’s first astronauts to the press (above).
The seven men, all military test pilots, were carefully selected from
a group of 32 candidates to take part in Project Mercury, America’s
first manned space program. NASA planned to begin manned orbital flights in 1961.
