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John Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth! He was

born on July 18, 1921 in Cambridge Ohio. After he finished high
school, he joined the Marine Corps. His family moved to New
Concord, Ohio. John Glenn was a hero who flew 149 military
missions. He served in WWII and the Korean conflict. His
distinguished service earned him many honors and medals. He
was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, five times and the Air
Medal with eighteen clusters for his service in World War II to
name a few.

On February 20, 1962, he made history by being the first

American astronaut to orbit the earth. He orbited the earth
three times in five hours and was awarded the Space Congressional
Medal of Honor. He retired in 1965. In 1974 John Glenn was
elected to the U. S. senate. He served four consecutive terms.

In 1998, John Glenn made history again by being the oldest

astronaut in space. He was 77 years old when he flew in Space
Shuttle Discovery and conducted experiments to see how space
flight effects the elderly.Thirty-four years after John Glenn's
historic first flight, he continues to explore, experiment, and push
the limits of our knowledge of space.