John Glenn

The first American astronaut to orbit the earth, the third and the oldest American to make it to space, John Glenn is a man who has donned numerous hats in his lifetime. Before he became a legendary hero, he was a dedicated countryman who served in the United Sates Military, Navy and the Marine Corps. He served in the World War II and the Korean War, leading and flying many successful missions. Soon after, he became a test pilot and received a Distinguished Flying Cross for his record non-stop supersonic transcontinental flight from Los Angeles to New York. He was later recruited into NASA. On-board the ‘Friendship 7' spaceship, he successfully encircled the earth three times, thus becoming the first American to orbit the Earth. He then retired from NASA and became the United States Senator from Ohio and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs. He passionately campaigned against nuclear weapons all through his tenure in the Senate. He has received numerous awards and decorations including the NASA service medal, the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom among many others.