John Glenn

John Herschel Glenn Jr. (July 18, 1921 – December 8, 2016) was an American Marine Corps aviator, astronaut, businessman, and politician. He was the third American in space and the first to orbit the Earth, circling it three times in 1962. Before joining NASA, Glenn was a distinguished fighter pilot in World War II, the Chinese Civil War, and the Korean War.

Glenn was one of the Mercury Seven military test pilots selected in 1959 by NASA as the nation's first astronauts. On February 20, 1962, Glenn flew the Friendship 7 mission, becoming the first American to orbit the Earth. He was the third American, and the fifth person, to be in space.

After retiring from NASA, Glenn served from 1974 to 1999 as a U.S. senator from Ohio. In 1998, at the age of 77, he flew into space again on Space Shuttle Discovery's STS-95 mission, making him the oldest person to enter Earth orbit and the only person to fly in both the Mercury and the Space Shuttle programs. Glenn passed away at the age of 95 on December 8, 2016.

Early life and education

John Herschel Glenn Jr. was born on July 18, 1921, in Cambridge, Ohio. His family later moved to New Concord, Ohio, where he grew up. As a child, John loved flying and even built model airplanes from balsa wood kits. He attended New Concord High School, where he played football, basketball, and tennis.

After high school, John went to Muskingum College, studying chemistry and playing football. He also earned a private pilot license in 1941 through a special program. Although he didn’t finish his last year of college, his love for flying continued to grow.

Military career

When the United States entered World War II, John Glenn left college to join the military. He first trained as a pilot in Iowa and Kansas, then moved to Texas for more advanced training. He became a Marine officer and later flew combat missions in the Pacific, earning several awards for his bravery.

During the Korean War, Glenn flew many missions and faced enemy fire. He also flew with the U.S. Air Force and had his first successes against enemy aircraft. His experiences showed his skill and courage as a pilot. Later, he became a test pilot, testing new airplanes and even setting a record for the fastest flight across the United States.

NASA career

Selection

Main article: Mercury Seven

On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite. This surprised America and made people worried. In response, President Dwight D. Eisenhower started the Space Race. NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, was created in 1958 to work on space technology. One of its first projects was Project Mercury, which aimed to send a person around Earth orbit and bring them back safely.

Glenn worked as a pilot and had chances to learn about new space news, like the X-15 rocket plane. He helped test spaceflight ideas at special bases. Because of his experience, NASA asked him to help plan their spacecraft. Glenn wanted the astronaut to be able to control the spacecraft, so he exercised to lose weight.

NASA chose astronauts from military test pilots. Glenn was one of the few who met the requirements, even though he was older and didn’t have a science degree. He did very well in tests and impressed the selection team with his dedication. On April 6, Glenn was chosen as one of the seven astronauts. They were announced on April 9, 1959.

Friendship 7 flight

Main article: Mercury-Atlas 6

Glenn was chosen to be the first American to orbit the Earth in Mercury-Atlas 6. After many delays, Friendship 7 launched on February 20, 1962. During the flight, Glenn had to control the spacecraft himself because of a problem, and there was a worry about the heat shield. Ground controllers told him to keep the rocket pack in place, which helped protect the shield. The flight went safely, and Glenn landed after almost five hours. He traveled around the Earth three times, becoming the first American to orbit our planet. His flight made Americans feel proud during the Cold War competition with the Soviet Union.

Political campaigning

1964 Senate campaign

Main article: 1964 United States Senate election in Ohio

When John Glenn was 42, he was one of the oldest astronauts, and likely would have been close to 50 by the time astronauts landed on the Moon. During his training, NASA found that Glenn was the best suited for public life. In 1962, a lawyer named Robert F. Kennedy suggested that Glenn run for the U.S. Senate in Ohio. Because it seemed unlikely he would be picked for space missions, Glenn left NASA in January 1964 and announced he would run for the Senate the next day. However, he fell and hurt himself while trying to fix a mirror in a hotel, which kept him from campaigning for a year. Because of this, he dropped out of the race in March 1964.

1970 Senate campaign

Main article: 1970 United States Senate election in Ohio

In 1970, the Senate seat in Ohio was open because the current senator decided not to run again. A businessman named Howard Metzenbaum, who used to help the senator, had support from many people and more money than Glenn. Glenn tried to save money during the early part of the campaign, but Metzenbaum spent much more. Glenn lost the election to Metzenbaum.

1974 Senate campaign

Main article: 1974 United States Senate election in Ohio

In 1974, Glenn decided to run for the Senate again. He changed his campaign strategy and focused more on areas with larger populations. He spoke strongly in support of veterans and families who had lost sons in wars. He won the election and began his career as a senator, which lasted until 1999.

1976 vice presidential consideration

In 1976, when Jimmy Carter was likely to become the Democratic candidate for president, some people thought Glenn would be a good choice for vice president. However, others thought he was too much like Carter and didn’t have enough experience. Carter chose someone else for the job.

1980 Senate campaign

Main article: 1980 United States Senate election in Ohio

Glenn easily won his reelection campaign in 1980, spending much more time and money than his opponents. He won by a large margin.

1984 presidential campaign

Glenn decided to run for president in 1984 because he wanted to help bring the country together. He announced his campaign in his old high school gym. Although he raised a lot of money early on, he struggled in early voting events and dropped out of the race in March 1984.

1986 Senate campaign

Main article: 1986 United States Senate election in Ohio

In 1986, Glenn faced a challenge from a man named Thomas Kindness. Glenn won the election with 62% of the vote.

1992 Senate campaign

Main article: 1992 United States Senate election in Ohio

In 1992, Glenn ran for the Senate again and faced a man named Mike DeWine. DeWine said it was time for new leaders and criticized Glenn for owing money from his past presidential campaign. Glenn won the election with over 2 million votes.

Senate career

Committee on Governmental Affairs

John Glenn asked to join two important groups when he first became a senator: the Government Operations Committee (later called the Committee on Governmental Affairs) and the Foreign Relations Committee. He was placed on the Government Operations Committee right away and waited for a spot on the Foreign Relations Committee. In 1977, Glenn wanted to lead a smaller group inside the Governmental Affairs Committee that focused on energy and nuclear issues. To do this, he also had to lead another group that handled the U.S. Postal Service. Even though this was not popular, Glenn agreed to do it.

One of Glenn’s goals as a senator was to help create better environmental rules. He introduced ideas about energy to address energy problems in the 1970s. He also worked on laws to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and was the main writer of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 1978.

From 1987 to 1995, Glenn led the Committee on Governmental Affairs. During this time, he learned about safety and environmental issues at nuclear weapons sites across the country. He asked for investigations and held meetings to discuss these problems. He also worked to get money to clean up old nuclear waste sites.

Glenn also tried to reduce wasteful spending in the government. He created laws to make sure large government agencies had chief financial officers. He also wrote a bill to add inspectors general to federal agencies to help find waste and fraud. Additionally, he started the Great Lakes Task Force to help protect the Great Lakes’ environment.

In 1995, Glenn became the main member from the minority party on the Committee on Governmental Affairs. He disagreed with the chair, Fred Thompson of Tennessee, about how to handle questions related to illegal donations from China to Democrats during an election. They did not work well together during the investigation.

Glenn also served as vice chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. After the Republican Party took control of the Senate in 1996, he became the ranking minority member until he was succeeded by Carl Levin. During this time, the committee looked into issues like fraud on the Internet, mortgage fraud, and day trading of securities.

Other committees and activities

Because of health issues in his family, Glenn asked to join the Special Committee on Aging.

Glenn was known for his knowledge of science and technology. He supported continuing the B-1 bomber program but had doubts about the B-2 bomber because of concerns about stealth technology. He tried to slow down the B-2 development to save money, but his idea was not accepted.

Glenn joined the Foreign Relations Committee in 1978. He became chairman of the East Asian and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee and traveled to several countries in Asia. He helped pass the Taiwan Enabling Act of 1979. However, he disagreed with President Carter about a treaty with the Soviet Union because he believed the U.S. could not properly check if the Soviet Union was following the treaty. The Senate did not approve the treaty partly because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Glenn served on this committee until 1985, when he switched to the Armed Services Committee.

In 1987, Glenn became chairman of the Manpower Subcommittee of the Armed Services Committee. He introduced laws to increase pay and benefits for American troops during the Gulf War. He served as chairman until 1993, then became chairman of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Readiness and Defense Infrastructure.

Keating Five

Main article: Keating Five

Glenn was one of the Keating Five—U.S. Senators involved in the savings and loan crisis—after he accepted a large campaign donation from Charles Keating, head of Lincoln Savings and Loan Association. During the crisis, the senators were accused of delaying actions that could have prevented additional losses for taxpayers. An investigation found that Glenn and another senator had exercised “poor judgment.” Glenn said he did nothing wrong and that the matter was settled. The situation cost him a lot of money in legal fees, but he was re-elected in 1992.

Retirement

On February 20, 1997, the 35th anniversary of his space flight, Glenn announced he would retire from the Senate at the end of his term in January 1999. He said he was retiring because of his age, noting that he would have been 83 at the end of another term.

Return to space

Main article: STS-95

After the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986, John Glenn spoke about the importance of sending scientists into space instead of people just for public support. In 1995, he read a book about how space travel affects the body and noticed similarities to aging. He thought it would be important for NASA to send an older person into space and wanted to be that person.

Glenn worked hard to convince NASA and passed all their tests. In 1998, at the age of 77, he flew into space again on the Space Shuttle Discovery, becoming the oldest person to do so at the time. During the flight, he helped with photography and took part in research studies. After the mission, he received a special award and a parade in his honor.

Personal life

John Glenn and his wife Annie had two children named John David and Carolyn Ann, and they also had two grandchildren. They stayed married for 73 years.

Glenn believed strongly in his faith and was part of a special group called Freemasons. He also belonged to a church group known as the Presbyterian Church. After traveling to space, he felt an even stronger belief in God and thought that learning about how we change over time through evolution was important and did not take away from his faith.

Public appearances

John Glenn was part of many important groups, like the International Academy of Astronautics and the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. He also appeared on the TV show _Frasier as himself in 2001.

In 2009, he and his wife helped make a special symbol at an Ohio State University football game. In 2012, he got to talk to astronauts on the International Space Station and helped move a famous spaceship to a museum. He shared his thoughts on stopping the Space Shuttle program, saying it was not a good idea because it slowed down important research.

Illness and death

John Glenn stayed healthy for most of his life and even held a pilot’s license until he was 90 years old. In 2014, he had successful surgery to fix his heart. In December 2016, he was taken to the hospital where his family stayed with him.

Glenn passed away on December 8, 2016, at the age of 95. After his death, there were memorial services held to honor him, and he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in 2017. At the time, he was the last surviving member of the Mercury Seven, the first group of American astronauts.

Many leaders, including President Barack Obama, paid tribute to Glenn for his courage and achievements. The phrase “Godspeed, John Glenn” became popular on social media to celebrate his legacy.

Awards and honors

John Glenn received many important awards for his achievements. In 1963, he was given the John J. Montgomery Award. He also received the Hubbard Medal from the National Geographic Society in 1962. In 2006, he and 37 other astronauts were given the Ambassador of Space Exploration Award.

Glenn was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2011 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012, which are two of the highest honors for civilians. He was also inducted into several halls of fame, including the International Air & Space Hall of Fame in 1968 and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1990. Many schools, roads, and even a fireboat were named after him, showing how much people admired his contributions.

Legacy

John Glenn became famous when he received a ticker-tape parade for breaking a speed record for flying across the country. As a senator, he worked to help prevent the spread of dangerous weapons and to reduce unnecessary spending by the government. His flight in the spacecraft Friendship 7 helped inspire many people.

President Barack Obama said that John Glenn was a hero who broke many barriers. He served as a pilot in World War II and Korea, set a speed record, and even went into space when he was very old. NASA praised his brave achievements and his dedication to his country.