Name: John

Surname: Glenn



John Herschel Glenn Jr. (Cambridge, July 18, 1921 – Columbus, December 8, 2016) was an American astronaut, aviator, politician and soldier. In 1960 he was enrolled among the Mercury Seven, the first seven NASA astronauts assigned to the Mercury space program. He was launched on February 20, 1962 on the Mercury-Atlas 6 mission, becoming the first American to orbit the Earth, spending 4 hours and 55 minutes in space. The lieutenant colonel made three orbits around the Earth. Glenn agreed to leave only when the computer calculations for the flight were verified by hand by the African-American "human calculator" Katherine Johnson. His return was punctuated by numerous technical problems, including an alleged heat shield problem that put the astronaut's life at risk. Following the political trend of the Kennedys, in 1964 he left NASA to run for Senator for the Democratic Party. He was elected as an Ohio state representative in 1974, 1980, 1986, and 1992. He also announced his candidacy for president of the United States in April 1983, retiring in March 1984.

Autograph type: photo with autograph dedication