DID YOU KNOW...

Neil Alden Armstrong did it for the Americans by being the first man to walk on the moon. Guess who was the first chimp to be launched in outer space and where he came from?

Ok, ok so the name might be a lil bit tricky but I am sure you can guess his country of origin! Yes, yes, CAMEROON!

Ham the Chimp or Ham the Astrochimp (DC prefers this name better!!) was the first chimpanzee launched into outer space in the American space program. Ham's name is an acronym for the lab that prepared him for his historic mission - the Holloman Aerospace Medical Center located in New Mexico.

Ham (pictured) was born in July 1956 in Cameroon before he was captured by animal trappers (bad, bad people, lol!!) and sent to Rare Bird Farm in Miami, Florida where he was later purchased by the United States Air Force and brought to the Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico in1959.

Ham's mission was completed on January 31 1961 aboard the MR-2 launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida. His flight lasted 16 minutes and 39 seconds long.

Ham lived for a further 17 years after the flight and died on January 19, 1983 at the great old age of 26! His grave can be found at the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo, New Mexico.

What a life, what an adventure!!
Thank you Ham!
(All info from Wikipedia)

Do you have any "did you know" stories to share? Please email us on: dulce.camer@gmail.com
Stay sweet
Dulce
xxx