- Born
- Died
- Birth nameLeroy Gordon Cooper Jr.
- Nicknames
- Gordo
- The Oklahoma Hotdog
- Height5′ 8″ (1.73 m)
- Gordon Cooper was born on March 6, 1927 in Shawnee, Oklahoma, USA. He was an actor, known for Primus (1971), The Munsters Today (1988) and CHiPs (1977). He was married to Susan Theresa Taylor and Gertrude Bernice 'Trudy' Olson. He died on October 4, 2004 in Ventura, California, USA.
- SpousesSusan Theresa Taylor(May 6, 1972 - October 4, 2004) (his death, 2 children)Gertrude Bernice 'Trudy' Olson(August 29, 1947 - March 6, 1972) (divorced, 2 children)
- Portrayed by Dennis Quaid in The Right Stuff (1983).
- Authored the 2000 book "Leap of Faith," in which he discussed NASA's early days, his experiences on the Mercury and Gemini missions and his belief in extraterrestrial intelligence. Said in the book that as an Air Force pilot in 1951 he chased UFOs while based in Germany.
- Awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal in May 1963 by President John F. Kennedy.
- Cooper gave his signature line during a 1995 reunion of surviving Mercury astronauts. When asked who was the greatest fighter pilot he ever saw, Cooper enthusiastically answered, "You're looking at him!"
- Was the youngest member of the original seven Mercury astronauts, and the last astronaut to take flight during NASA's pioneering Mercury program. Circled the globe 22 times in 34 hours and 20 minutes, and was the first astronaut in a space flight of more than 24 hours. He was also the first astronaut to sleep in space, and the first man to launch a satellite in space. He was the last astronaut to orbit Earth alone.
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