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John Van Durten (1901-1957)
Playwright and director. His works include "Young
Woodley," "I Am a Camera," and "Bell, Book and Candle." He
directed "The King and I" on Broadway. Born in London, England. Became a U.S.
citizen in 1944.
 Wernher
Von Braun ( 1912-1977)
Rocket engineer. He is given major credit for the
rocketry that put up America’s first satellite into orbit and sent the first
astronauts to the moon. Born in Wirsitz, Germany. His rocket research in Germany resulted
in the deadly V-2 (which stood for Vengeance weapon number 2) rocket and Wasserfall
antiaircraft missile used in World War II. Near the end of the war, Von Braun surrendered
to the Americans and came to the U.S. In 1970 he became deputy director of planning for
NASA.
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As director of Marshall Space Flight Center in
Huntsville, Alabama, Wernher Von Braun supervised the
development of the Saturn rocket used to launch Apollo spacecrafts to the moon.
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