John Glenn | OtterKnow Kids Encyclopedia

Early Life and Education

John Herschel Glenn Jr. was born on July 18, 1921, in Cambridge, Ohio, and grew up in the nearby town of New Concord. As a boy, he loved building model airplanes and dreaming about flight. John attended Muskingum College, where he studied engineering and learned to fly through a civilian pilot training program. When World War II broke out, he left college to join the Marine Corps and serve his country as a fighter pilot. His small-town upbringing gave him the steady nerves and strong values that would define his life.

Military Hero

John Glenn was a decorated Marine fighter pilot who served in both World War II and the Korean War. During those two conflicts, he flew a combined 149 combat missions, earning numerous medals for his bravery. In Korea, he shot down three enemy jets in the final days of the war, becoming known as a fearless and skilled pilot. After the wars, he became a test pilot, setting a speed record by flying across the United States in just three hours and 23 minutes. His flying skills caught the attention of the brand-new space program.

Orbiting the Earth

On February 20, 1962, John Glenn climbed into a tiny spacecraft called Friendship 7 and became the first American to orbit the Earth. He circled the planet three times in just under five hours, traveling at over 17,000 miles per hour. The mission was a huge moment for the United States during the Space Race with the Soviet Union, and it made John Glenn a national hero. Millions of Americans watched on television and cheered when he splashed down safely in the Atlantic Ocean. His flight gave the country confidence that it could compete in space exploration.

Senator and Public Servant

After his historic spaceflight, John Glenn left NASA and entered politics. In 1974, he was elected as a United States Senator from Ohio, a position he held for 24 years. As a senator, he worked on issues related to science, nuclear weapons, and government accountability. He was respected by both political parties for his honesty and dedication to public service. John Glenn showed that the same courage it takes to fly into space can also be used to serve your community and country on the ground.

Return to Space and Legacy

In 1998, at the age of 77, John Glenn returned to space aboard the space shuttle Discovery, becoming the oldest person ever to fly in space. NASA used the mission to study how spaceflight affects the aging body, and Glenn proved that age was no barrier to adventure. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of the highest honors an American civilian can earn. John Glenn passed away on December 8, 2016, but he is still remembered as one of America’s great space pioneers. He once said that exploring space was like exploring a new ocean, and that humanity should never stop pushing forward.