Edward Higgins White II was born on November 14, 1930 in San Antonio, TX. 

White was an American aeronautical engineer, United States Air Force officer, test pilot, and NASA astronaut. He was a member of the crews of Gemini 4 and Apollo 1. His education and military training accomplishments increased his likely hold of becoming an astronaut. 

White graduating from West Point in 1952 with a Bachelor of Science degree. Following graduation White went to flight training and was assigned to the 22nd Fighter Day Squadron at Bitburg Air Base, West Germany.

In 1958, he enrolled to study aeronautical engineering at the University of Michigan and graduated with a Master of Science degree in 1959. White then received test pilot training at Edwards Air Force Base, California, before being assigned as a test pilot for the Aeronautical Systems Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He also served as a weightlessness training captain. One notable trainee of White's was John Glenn. 

White was selected as one of the second group of astronauts, after the Mercury 7 known as the "Next Nine", who were chosen to take part in the Gemini and Apollo missions. White was assigned as pilot of Gemini 4 alongside command pilot James McDivitt. On June 3, 1965, White became the first American to walk in space. He was then assigned as senior pilot of the first crewed Apollo mission, Apollo 1. 

White died on January 27, 1967, alongside astronauts Virgil "Gus" Grissom and Roger B. Chaffee in a fire during pre-launch testing for Apollo 1 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. He was awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal for his flight in Gemini 4 and was then awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor posthumously.

Portrait of the Apollo 1 prime crew for first manned Apollo space flight. From left to right are: Edward H. White II, Virgil Ivan "Gus" Grissom, and Roger B. Chaffee. On January 27, 1967, the crew were performing a simulated launch test onboard the Apollo Saturn V Moon rocket. An electrical short circuit inside the Apollo Command Module ignited the pure oxygen environment and within a matter of seconds all three Apollo 1 crewmembers perished.

U.S. Military Academy West Point Cemetery

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EDWARD HIGGINS WHITE II

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