John Glenn, a legend and pioneer in the space program, has died at 95.
Glenn, a WWII and Korean War veteran, a pilot and an astronaut who later served the state of Ohio as a senator, passed away today at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio.
Glenn was part of the “Mercury 7”, a group of military pilots trained to fly the Project Mercury spacecraft. In 1962, Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth. After leaving NASA, he became a United States senator and served for 25 years. In 1988, he became the oldest person to fly in space when he flew on the space shuttle Discovery as a payload specialist. He was still at senator at the time. Glenn also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012.
John Glenn famously mused once about his time in space, “As I hurtled through space, one thought kept crossing my mind – every part of this rocket was supplied by the lowest bidder.”
Glenn’s wife of 73 years, Annie, was by his side when he passed. 73 years!
