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.

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.

Painting depicting the first Pony Express rider arriving in
Sacramento.

On April 3, 1860, the first Pony Express mail, traveling by horse
and rider relay teams, simultaneously left St. Joseph, Missouri,
and Sacramento, California. Ten days later, on April 13, the
westbound rider and mail packet completed the approximately
1,800-mile journey and arrived in Sacramento, beating the
eastbound packet’s arrival in St. Joseph by two days and setting
a new standard for speedy mail delivery. Although ultimately
short-lived and unprofitable, the Pony Express captivated
America’s imagination and helped win federal aid for a more
economical overland postal system. It also contributed to the
economy of the towns on its route and served the mail-service
needs of the American West in the days before the telegraph
or an efficient transcontinental railroad.

Portable radios were invented by John F. Mitchell in 1941 when  he 
created the first 2-way radio that was small enough for soldiers to
carry with them during World War II. These radios were called the
“Walkie-talkie.” 

Portable radios became available for home use in 1958 when
Raytheon produced a pocket transistorized radio that cost
$49.95.  

John Francis Mitchell
(January 1, 1928 – June 9, 2009)

Bob Dylan’s  debut studio album was produced by Columbia talent
scout John H. Hammond, who had earlier signed Dylan to the label,
a decision which was at the time controversial. The album primarily features folk standards, but also includes two original compositions, "Talkin’ New York" and "Song to Woody". The latter was an ode to Woody Guthrie, a major influence in Dylan’s early career.

The album did not initially receive much attention, but it achieved
some popularity following the growth of Dylan’s career, charting
in the UK three years after its release, reaching #13.

Bob Dylan in the studio recording his debut album in 1961.

Robert Dylan (Robert Allen Zimmerman) will be 81 in May.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation instituted the “Ten
Most Wanted Fugitives” list in an effort to publicize
particularly dangerous fugitives. The creation of the
program arose out of a wire service news story in 1949
about the “toughest guys” the FBI wanted to capture.

The story drew so much public attention that the “Ten
Most Wanted” list was given the okay by J. Edgar Hoover
the following year.

Since its debut, hundreds of the criminals included on the
list have been apprehended or located, with more than 150
as a result of tips from the public.