Today In The Space Race

Open the pod bay doors, H.A.L.

Somewhat sorry we missed the actual (Soviet) 50th anniv. of going outside the spaceship (18 March).

Additional data, added the very next day (1545PDT):

During the Gemini 4 mission on June 3, 1965, Ed White became the first American to conduct a spacewalk. The spacewalk started at 3:45 p.m. EDT on the third orbit when White opened the hatch and used the hand-held maneuvering oxygen-jet gun to push himself out of the capsule. The EVA started over the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii and lasted 23 minutes, ending over the Gulf of Mexico. Initially, White propelled himself to the end of the 8-meter tether and back to the spacecraft three times using the hand-held gun. After the first three minutes the fuel ran out and White maneuvered by twisting his body and pulling on the tether. In this photograph taken by Commander James McDivitt early in the EVA over a cloud-covered Pacific Ocean, the maneuvering gun is visible in White's right hand.

And the final dope on the tragedy of Ed White, Roger Chaffee & Gus Grissom in comments. Yep, pure O₂. How could that ever have seemed like a good idea, even at the proverbial time?