U.S. Senator John Herschel Glenn, III

John Herschel Glenn, Jr. (born July 18, 1921) was a former United States Marine Corps pilot, astronaut, and United States senator who was the first American to orbit the Earth and the third American in space. Glenn was a Marine Corps fighter pilot before joining NASA's Mercury program as a member of NASA's original astronaut group. He orbited the Earth in Friendship 7 in 1962. After retiring from NASA, he entered politics as a Democrat and represented Ohio in the United States Senate from 1974 to 1999.

Glenn received a Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1978. He was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1990. On October 29, 1998, he became the oldest person to fly in space, and the only one to fly in both the Mercury and Space Shuttle programs, when at age 77, he flew on Discovery (STS-95). As of 2010, Glenn and M. Scott Carpenter are the last living members of the Mercury Seven.

Contents (open wikipedia link for additional details as follows: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Glenn

1 Early life and military career

2 NASA
3 Life in politics
4 Public affairs institute
5 Personal life
6 Awards and honors
7 See also
8 References
9 External links

Astronaut and Politician

John Herschel Glenn was the third American to fly in space and the first American to orbit the earth. He flew into space at the age of 77, making him the oldest person to orbit the earth.

John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth on February 20, 1962 in Friendship 7. For more information about John Glenn, please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Glenn

Port Columbus International Airport in Columbus, Ohio was renamed John Glenn Columbus International Airport on June 28, 2016 in his honor.

• Reference: Wikipedia

American Astronaut, US Senator. He was the first American to orbit the Earth and went on to serve in the United States Senate from 1975 to 1999. He was a veteran of both World War II and the Korean War, serving as a fighter pilot in both the Navy and Marine Corps. After the Korean War ended, he became a test pilot and when the newly formed NASA began recruiting astronauts in 1958, he applied and was selected as one of the original Mercury Seven. On February 20, 1962, he became the third American in space and the first to orbit the earth when he lifted off in Friendship 7. His observations of the the journey fascinated watchers at home, particularly his description of "little specks, brilliant specks, floating around outside the capsule". He came back to Earth after five hours and was honored as a national hero, met President Kennedy at the White House, and was given a ticker-tape parade in New York City. He left NASA in 1964 and retired from the Marines a year later. He first entered the world of politics by running for the US Senate from Ohio in 1964, but had to withdraw from the race early due to a concussion sustained during a fall. He ran again ten years later in 1974 for the Senate and defeated Republican Ralph Perk to become a United States Senator. He served in the Senate for four terms until retiring in 1999. During his tenure in the Senate, he was the chief author of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 1978 and also sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984. Before retiring from the Senate, he went up in space for a second time, this time on the Space Shuttle Discovery, in 1998. In his later years he founded the John Glenn Institute of Public Service and Public Policy at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. He also taught at the school as an adjunct professor. Among his many honors were the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal, and six Distinguished Flying Crosses. A number of roads and schools are named for him, as well as a United States Navy mobile landing platform ship. Before his passing, he was the oldest living former United States Senator.

Bio by: Mr. Badger Hawkeye

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: May 20 2020, 4:14:36 UTC