Alan Shepard was an American astronaut and the first person in history to travel into space. He was one of the original seven Mercury astronauts selected for the United States' first human spaceflight program. He was also the fifth person to walk on the moon. Shepard was a naval aviator and test pilot before being selected as an astronaut. He flew aboard the Freedom 7 mission in 1961, becoming the first American in space. In 1971, he commanded the Apollo 14 mission, during which he became the fifth person to walk on the moon. Shepard died in 1998 at the age of 74.