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THIS DAY IN HISTORY
John Glenn Had the Right Stuff
Fighter pilot and test aviator pioneered space flight
On this day in history in 1921, John Glenn was born in Cambridge, Ohio. Glenn had many accomplishments during his 95 years, as he was known for breaking many barriers in science and history.
Glenn was a fighter pilot who served gallantly during WWII earning him a promotion to Major and several medals for his service. He then went on to lead in the Korean War air service, earning him additional recognition and medals of distinction.
He clearly had the Right Stuff, as he entered into NASA’s astronaut training and became the first astronaut to circle the Earth three times in Friendship 7 in 1962. Glenn experience the wonder of space travel and brought back photos of our planet, but more importantly, he brought back a new picture of our world.
After he made space history and became a household name, Glenn went into a life of politics. He unsuccessfully ran for President, announcing his run from the John Glenn High School gymnasium in 1983. He dropped out of the race in March of 1984. He successfully served as Ohio’s Senator from 1987 to 1995.
Glenn wasn’t done with space travel, at 77-years-old Glenn volunteered for the October mission on Discovery…
