VirtualGlobetrotting

Today in History – May 5

1945 – World War II: US Army troops liberate the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria

Concentration Camp Mauthausen

1961 – The Mercury program: Mercury-Redstone 3 – Alan Shepard becomes the first American to travel into outer space, making a sub-orbital flight of 15 minutes.

Mercury Redstone Rocket at Cape Canaveral