Group photo of the Mercury 7 astronauts at their first
public appearance in April 1959: Walter M. Schirra,
left, Alan B. Shepard, Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, Donald
K. “Deke”Slayton, John H. Glenn, M. Scott Carpenter,
and L. Gordon Cooper.           

        
        
        
       
On April 9, 1959, the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) formally introduced America’s
first astronauts to the press in Washington, D.C..
   

The seven men, all military test pilots, were
carefully selected  from a group of 32
candidates to take part in Project Mercury.
 

    
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