In ancient Rome, Mercury was the mythical messenger of the gods. His winged helmet and sandals represented his ability to run extremely fast. Ancient astronomers immortalized him by giving the name Mercury to the planet that circled the Sun in the...

1960–61 "Mercury 13" is the popular name given to a group of thirteen women who were tested for Project Mercury astronaut training in 1960 and 1961. They passed the same seventy-five tests that were taken by their famous male...

Excerpts from The Mercury 13: The Untold Story of Thirteen American Women and the Dream of Space Flight Published in 2003 In 1959 seven astronauts were introduced to the United States as the future of space travel. Known as the Mercury 7, the men...

Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight program of the United States. It ran from 1959 through 1963 with the goal of putting a man in orbit around the Earth. The Mercury-Atlas 6 flight on February 20, 1962 was the first Mercury flight to achieve...

Today is Tuesday, May 15, the 135th day of 2007. There are 230 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:On May 15, 1942, wartime gasoline rationing went into effect in 17 states, limiting sales to three gallons a week for non-essential vehicles.On this date:In...