John Glenn-Beloved Space Pioneer
Ranked #29,808 in Culture & Society, #589,259 overall
Celebrating 50 Years Since Mercury Flight
John Glenn has done something that no living astranaut has ever done before. He is celebrating his 50 th year anniversary of his own space flight. As the first American to orbit the earth, aboard Friendship 7 on February 20th, 1962. he circled the earth three times in 5 hours. This placed The Us on equal footing with the USSR Ten times the launch was delayed. Finally on the morning of February 20th the rockets ignited and Scott Carpenter was heard to say "God Speed John Glenn" Squeezed into the tiny cockpit of Mercury's spacecraft called Friendship 7, launched by an Atlas Rocket, John Glenn made history as the first American to orbit the earth.
Military Accomplishments
John Hershal Glenn Jr was born July 18, 1921 in Cambridge , Ohio. After three years at Muskigum College, he entered the Naval Academy t begin Preflight Training.Joping the US Marine Corp in 1943, he attained the rank of Colonel during World War II. He also served in the Korean War between 1950-1953.He attended the Naval test Pilot School. After his graduation, he served as a project officer. He pioneered by becoming the first person to make a non stop supersonic flight from Los Angeles to new York in less than 3 hours and 22 minutes. For this feat a fifth Distinguished Flying Cross was added to the many medals he had earned in wartime.
He retired from the US Marine Corps in 1965.
Mercury Seven
John Glenn became one of the first seven astranauts in the US Space Program in 1959. This flight was the first by an American to go around the Earth and the third Amerian to be in space. It covered three orbits, over 81,000 miles and took over 4 hours and 55 min. He was scheduled to fly more orbits, but concern that his capsule's heat shield might be loose forced him to return to Earth early. As it turned out, the heat shield was fine.
What a historic moment it was when he told the people of Australia that he could see the lights they had left on for him. It made us realize how small the world really was
On February 23, 1962 President Kennedy escorted him in a parade to Hanger S at Canaveral Air Force station where he awarded Glenn with the NASA service medal.
He was the Hero We Needed
Just When We Needed One
In the 60's we suffered a rude jolt to our American egos. The then Soviet Union had just launched the first spacecraft, The Sputnik. We thought we were the best in all things technical and suddenly we found out we might just be number two. The Space War was on. John Kennedy, then president, threw down the gauntlet to send men to the moon by the end of the decade.After the blow to our egos,we finally launched John Glenn intoorbit on February 20th, 1962. The small town American Marine Fighter pilot addressed the country's need.
As the first American to Orbit the earth, he became the hero to countless American's of the time.
In the epilogue to the book, The Right Stuff, author Wolfe says, "when as astronaut could parage uup broadway while traffic policeman wept in the intersection, "was no more. An era, he contimnues,"had come, and it had gone, perhaps never to be relived."
Oldest American To Fly In Space
Nasa announced on January 16th, 1998, that Senator Glenn was selected as a member of the crew for Space Shuttle Discovery as a payload spoecialist In October 1998, at the age of 77, John Glenn returned to space with the duty to help reasearech how weightlessness would affect an older person. This was a nine day mission of 134 Earth orbits Political Career
Glenn served three terms in the US Senate, starting in 1974.He was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate in November 1974, for the term commencing January 3, 1975; subsequently appointed by the Governor, December 24, 1974, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Howard M. Metzenbaum for the term ending January 3, 1975; reelected in 1980, 1986, and again in 1992 for the term ending January 3, 1999; not a candidate for reelection in 1998. He served on the Committe of Governmental Affiars Awards and Honors
John Glenn has been awarded numerous awards and honors for all his accomplishments.
- Naval Aviator Badge
- Naval Pilot Astranaut Badge
- Distinguished Flying Cross with two Gold Stars and two Oak Leaf Clusters
- Air Medal with three Silver Stars and two Oak Leaf Cluste
- Presidential Unit Citation (United States)
- Navy Unit Commendation
- American Campaign Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one Bronze Star
- World War II Victory Medal (United States)
- China Service Medal
- Navy Occupation Service Medal
- National Defense Service Medal
- Korean Service Medal with two Bronze Stars
- United Nations Korea Medal
- Presidential Unit Citation (Korea)
- Congressional Space Medal of Honor
- NASA Distinguished Service Medal
- The Woodrow Wilson Award
- Thomas D. White National Defense Award
Learning More About John Glenn
John Glenn In His Own Words
Remembering Mercury Seven
Veterns of the Mercury Seven team are gathering at Cape Canaveral, Fla to remeber the accomplishments of Mercury Seven They will be visting the old launch pad and the blockhouse where they viewed Glenn take off on his momentous journey. Members of the team and thier wives, gathered to remember that special time.
Scott Crapenter, the only other astronaut still living from the original seven paid tribute to the hunreds of workers who made it all possible. "At least in Mercury, they involved one man flying," Carpenter said. "But it took thousands of people to get him up there and back safely."
Glenn added: "Appreciate their efforts and still do."
Scott Crapenter, the only other astronaut still living from the original seven paid tribute to the hunreds of workers who made it all possible. "At least in Mercury, they involved one man flying," Carpenter said. "But it took thousands of people to get him up there and back safely."
Glenn added: "Appreciate their efforts and still do."
John Glenn Update
Where Is He Now?
John Glenn is now 90 and living with his wife in Columbus, Ohio. Amazingly, he just gave up flying recently.His goal was to continue flying until he was 90 and he did just that.Upon his retirement from the senate and return from space,
John and Annie Glenn founded the John Glenn Institute for Public Service at the Ohio State University. Through its programs, they seek to improve the quality of public service and to encourage young people to pursue careers in government. The Glenns also serve as trustees of Muskingum College, their alma mater.
More News On John Glenn
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- Mercury Astronaut Scott Carpenter Celebrates 50-Year Flight Milestone
- I caught up with the maverick -- a retired US Navy captain and one of only two original Mercury Seven "right stuff" astronauts still alive (the other is Glenn) -- on the half-century anniversary of his flight. Appropriately enough, we met at a watch ...
- 'Intrepid' Mercury Astronaut Marks 50th Anniversary of Orbiting the Earth
- The crowd attending the ceremony gave a standing ovation for Carpenter, who became the second American to orbit the Earth during NASA's Mercury-Atlas 7 mission that launched on May 24, 1962. He and John Glenn represent the last surviving members of the ...
- Scott Carpenter recalls early space mission on USS Intrepid
- Carpenter's Aurora 7 mission came three months after John Glenn's first American orbital flight as the United States pursued the Soviet Union in the Cold War race to outer space. Carpenter's flight is remembered most for the drama-filled re-entry when ...
- Space shuttle replica en route to final home
- John Glenn, a Mercury astronaut, aboard. (STEVE UECKERT / Houston Chronicle) In low Earth orbit there is not enough atmosphere to diffuse and scatter sunlight, so shadows are black and the sky is dark - even when the Sun shines.
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