Alan Shepard became the first American and second person in space on 5 May 1961, on a 15-minute sub-orbital flight aboard Freedom 7.
ˈælən ʃˈɛpɚd bɪkˌeɪm ðə fˈɜːst ɐmˈɛɹɪkən ænd sˈɛkənd pˈɜːsən ɪn spˈeɪs ˌɔn fˈaɪv mˈeɪ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti wˈʌn, ˌɔn ɐ fˈɪftiːnmˈɪnɪt sˈʌbˈɔːɹbɪɾəl flˈaɪt ɐbˈoːɹd fɹˈiːdəm sˈɛvən.