Edward Higgins White II

White, Edward Higgins, II (1930–67), U.S. astronaut. On June 3, 1965 he was the first U.S. astronaut to leave his craft, taking a 21-minute walk in outer space. He died Jan. 27, 1967 when a fire occurred during a flight simulation at Cape Kennedy, Florida. Other astronauts who died in the tragedy were Virgil Grissom and Roger Chaffee.

See also: Astronaut.