5 May 1961 May 5, 2014 Author: Staff Alan Shepard becomes the first American to travel into outer space. Famous Words of Inspiration..."In absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily acts of trivia." Author Unknown — Click here for more from Author Unknown Related posts: 10 September 1961 10 September 1961 12 March 1961 Categories: History Tags: 1961, 5 May