John Glenn, 1st American to Orbit Earth and U.S. Senator, Dead at 95

COLUMBUS, OH — John Glenn, who grew up in small-town Ohio and spread his wings to become a worldwide space hero and an icon of the audacious spirit that pushed man to thrust from earth to explore the cosmos, died Thursday in Columbus surrounded by family. He was 95.

Glenn, known to a generation as a U.S. senator representing Ohio beginning in 1974, stepped onto the world stage in 1962, when he became the first American to orbit Earth. Prior to his feat, space travel had been thought by the masses to be an impossible dream fueled by arrogance, foolishness or both.

"The last of America's first astronauts has left us, but propelled by their example we know that our future here on Earth compels us to keep reaching for the heavens," President Barack Obama said in a statement. "On behalf of a grateful nation, Godspeed, John Glenn."

5 Things You Didn't Know About John Glenn

Born in 1921 in Cambridge, Ohio, Glenn was the son of a plumber. His family moved to New Concord when he was 2, and he spent his early days around college students from nearby Muskingum College. Glenn later said that his childhood had been "idyllic." Certainly, it was the perfect place for a budding scientist.

Glenn went through his formative years surrounded by older college students that were tackling problems light years ahead of what the young Glenn was encountering in high school. That environment piqued his interest in the sciences and propelled Glenn through high school, college, the marine corps and into space.

Shortly after graduating from New Concord High School (now named John Glenn High School), Glenn attended Muskingum College. However, the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor inspired Glenn to join the Marine Corps and become a pilot. During the war, he married his childhood sweetheart Annie Castor in 1943. He paid $125 for the diamond ring.

He flew 59 combat missions in World War II, according to the John and Annie Glenn Museum. When the Korean War broke out, Glenn logged another 63 missions and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross six times.

So skilled was he in a cockpit, Glenn began training other pilots. He even broke a speed record when he flew from Los Angeles to New York in just three and a half hours in 1957. His record-breaking heroics helped secure him a place in America's budding space program, and in 1959 he was selected as one of the first seven astronauts for NASA's space exploration program. Together, these men were known as the Mercury Seven.

In the midst of the Space Race, which pitted American scientists against Soviet Union scientists, the United States was worried it was ceding the great expanse surrounding Earth to its rival. America was desperate to send a man into space and have him orbit the planet. Enter John Glenn.

Glenn went from man to American hero on Feb. 20, 1962, when he piloted his spaceship the "Friendship 7" into space and orbited Earth three times. Glenn was the third American to enter space but the first to circle the planet.

As NASA notes, the trip was no walk in the park. Following the first successful orbit, a yaw attitude jet clogged. That meant Glenn had to abandon autopilot mechanisms and utilize the manual electrical fly-by-wire system. He traveled at speeds of 17,000 miles per hour. His three trips around the globe took four hours and 56 minutes.

His pioneering trip around Earth ended with the Friendship 7 splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean, near Bermuda. Glenn was recovered by American forces and was later awarded the Space Congressional Medal of Honor by President John F. Kennedy. New York City threw a ticker tape parade to honor his accomplishments.

Glenn then served as an adviser to NASA until 1965 when he retired as a colonel and, encouraged by Bobby Kennedy, turned his attention to politics. He originally ran for the US. Senate but was forced out of the race by an injury.

After recovering, Glenn ran for Senate in 1970 but was defeated in the primaries. Ever persistent, he came back four years later and this time won office. He served as senator for 25 years from 1974 to 1999. Much of his work in the Senate focused on foreign affairs, and he was one of the lead authors of the 1978 Nonproliferation Act.

Glenn also ran, unsuccessfully, for president in 1984 but didn't make it out of the primaries.

However, Glenn was not done making history. On Oct. 29, 1998, while still serving as a senator, Glenn became the oldest person to go into space. He was 77.

Glenn's reentry into the cosmos was part of a nine-day mission aboard the spaceship Discovery. Most of his time back in space was spent taking part in tests on how the cosmos impacted the human aging process. NASA says that the experiments were designed to test how his body responded to the microgravity environment. They focused on balance, perception, immune system response, bone and muscle density, metabolism, blood flow and sleep.

Notably, the Discovery orbited the Earth 134 times during its nine-day trip. He also came back to Earth at 3 gs. That's half of what he experienced during his re-entry in 1962. The Discovery landed safely at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

During his last years, Glenn worked with students at Ohio State University. He and his wife founded the John Glenn Institute for Public Service at the school. The institution tries to encourage students to consider a life in public service and to prepare them for that life.

Glenn was admitted to the James Cancer Hospital at Ohio State University Dec. 8, though officials there cautioned that did not necessarily mean he had been diagnosed with cancer. It is not yet clear what led to his admission, but Glenn previously had a stroke and underwent a heart valve replacement in 2014.

He is survived by his wife Annie and children John and Carolyn.

Many major political figures across America have expressed their sympathies to the Glenn family. Obama issued a statement, saying:

When John Glenn blasted off from Cape Canaveral atop an Atlas rocket in 1962, he lifted the hopes of a nation. And when his Friendship 7 spacecraft splashed down a few hours later, the first American to orbit the Earth reminded us that with courage and a spirit of discovery there's no limit to the heights we can reach together. With John's passing, our nation has lost an icon and Michelle and I have lost a friend. John spent his life breaking barriers, from defending our freedom as a decorated Marine Corps fighter pilot in World War II and Korea, to setting a transcontinental speed record, to becoming, at age 77, the oldest human to touch the stars. John always had the right stuff, inspiring generations of scientists, engineers and astronauts who will take us to Mars and beyond--not just to visit, but to stay.

Today, the people of Ohio remember a devoted public servant who represented his fellow Buckeyes in the U.S. Senate for a quarter century and who fought to keep America a leader in science and technology. Our thoughts are with his beloved wife Annie, their children John and Carolyn and the entire Glenn family. The last of America's first astronauts has left us, but propelled by their example we know that our future here on Earth compels us to keep reaching for the heavens. On behalf of a grateful nation, Godspeed, John Glenn.

Ohio's politicians united in mourning.

Gov. John Kasich said that Glenn was "Ohio's ultimate hometown hero, and his passing today is an occasion for all of us to grieve." Sen. Rob Portman said, "John and Annie have been a model for Jane and me, and we send our condolences to Annie and the Glenn family at this difficult time." Sen. Sherrod Brown said, "It has been a blessing to know John Glenn and for Connie and me to count him and Annie as mentors and friends. We will miss him."

Photo from NASA