John Glenn 1921-2016

John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth and the last of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, died Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016, at the age of 95.

In this photo, John Glenn smiles during training for his NASA space flight aboard the Friendship 7 capsule, in which he became the first American to orbit the Earth on February 20, 1962.

A former Marine Corps pilot, he later became a senator.

John Glenn

John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, speaks to reporters as he stands in front of a 1962 photo of himself in a spacesuit, during a press conference at NASA in Washington, D.C., January 16, 1998.

NASA's Mercury program

Astronaut John H. Glenn wears a silver Mercury pressure suit in preparation for launch, February 20, 1962.

NASA's Mercury program

U.S. Mercury program astronauts pose for a picture in their space suits in 1962.

1rst row from left to right : Walter M. “Wally” Schirra, Donald K. “Deke” Slayton, John Glenn, Scott Carpenter ; 2nd row from left to right : Alan Shepard, Virgil Grissom, Gordon Cooper.

Early astronauts

This May 1961 photo shows NASA astronauts Virgil “Gus” Grissom, John Glenn and Alan Shepard.

NASA's Mercury program

Astronaut John Glenn is suited up on January 20, 1962 in preparation for a simulated test during a training session before his February space flight aboard in the Mercury capsule Friendship 7, in which he became the first American to orbit the Earth.

NASA's Mercury program

Astronaut John Glenn is suited up in preparation for a simulated test during a training session before he became the first American to orbit the Earth.

Friendship 7

At 9:47 am EST on Feb. 20, 1962, John Glenn launched from Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 14 to become the first American to orbit the Earth. In this image, Glenn enters his Friendship 7 capsule with assistance from technicians to begin his historic flight.

Historic space flight

U.S. astronaut John Glenn smiles aboard the USS Randolph soon after his triple orbit in space on Mercury Friendship 7, Feb. 20, 1960.

Presidential ceremony

Astronaut John Glenn is honored by President John F. Kennedy after his historic first manned orbital flight. The ceremony was held at the NASA facility in Florida, Feb. 23, 1962.

Florida parade

President John F. Kennedy (left), John Glenn (center) and General Leighton I. Davis ride together during a parade in Cocoa Beach, Florida, on February 23, 1962, after Glenn’s historic first U.S. human orbital spacefight.

New York's "Canyon of Heroes"

John Glenn is acclaimed during a ticker tape parade on Broadway in New York after his space flight aboard the Mercury capsule Friendship 7 on Feburary 20, 1962, in which he became the first American to orbit the Earth.

Mercury 7 astronauts

Group shot of the original Mercury astronauts taken at the Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, in 1963. Left to right: L. Gordon Cooper Jr., Walter M. Schirra, Alan B. Shepard Jr., Virgil I. Grissom, John H. Glenn Jr., Donald K. Slayton and M. Scott Carpenter.

1984 campaign

John Glenn served in the U.S. Senate from 1974 to 1999.

In 1984, he made a brief run in the Democratic presidential primary campaign.

Smithsonian Air and Space Museum

In this photo from 1997, Sen. John Glenn peers inside his Mercury Friendship 7 space capsule, which is on display at the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum.

Kennedy Space Center, Florida

U.S. astronaut John Glenn waves to friends and relatives before he blasted off into space aboard the space shuttle Discovery. At age 77, he became the oldest man to fly in space, October 28, 1998.

Discovery and its seven-person crew performed numerous scientific experiments during their nine day mission.

Kennedy Space Center, Florida

John Glenn waves en route to board the space shuttle Discovery at the Kennedy Space Center, October, 29, 1998.

Shuttle Discovery launch

The space shuttle Discovery blasts off launch pad 39-B at the Kennedy Space Center, on Oct. 29, 1998. Discovery flew into orbit with a crew of seven, including Senator John Glenn, 77, a payload specialist who was the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962.

Discovery crew

The crew of the space shuttle Discovery before their 1998 mission: (front row) Payload Specialist Chiaki Mukai and Mission Commander Curt Brown; (middle row) Pilot Steve Lindsey and Payload Specialist John Glenn; (back row) Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski, Mission Specialist Stephen Robinson and Mission Specialist Pedro Duque. Glenn, 77, was the first American to orbit the earth in 1962.

Aboard Discovery

STS-95 payload specialist John Glenn works with the Osteporosis Experiment in Orbit (OSTEO) in the space shuttle Discovery’s middeck during 1998 mission.

Kennedy Space Center, Florida

Astronaut John Glenn and his wife Annie wave to friends at the Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 8, 1998, the day after Glenn and the crew of the space shuttle Discovery returned to Earth following a nine-day mission.

New York

Astronaut and Senator John Glenn and his wife Annie take part in a ticker tape parade with his Discovery crewmates up Broadway’s “Canyon of Heroes,” Nov. 16, 1998.

It was the second time the 77-year-old Glenn received a ticker tape parade in New York -- the first was March 1, 1962, after he became the first American to ever orbit the Earth.

Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland

President Bill Clinton, Senator John Glenn and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Hugh Shelton watch a flyover during an Armed Forces Day event at Andrews Air Force Base, May 19, 2000.

Washington

John Glenn talks about the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster with moderator Tim Russert during a taping of NBC’s “Meet the Press” at the NBC studios, February 2, 2003.

Columbia broke apart as it returned to Earth after a 16-day mission, killing all seven astronauts aboard.

New York

Former astronaut John Glenn looks on at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) in New York City, September 24, 2009.

Chantilly, Virginia

Former astronaut and former U.S. Senator John Glenn (D-OH), speaks in front of the space shuttle Discovery during an event at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center April 19, 2012 in Chantilly, Virginia. Glenn flew aboard Discovery in 1998.

Columbus, Ohio

John Glenn poses for a portrait shortly after doing live television interviews from the Ohio State University Union building, February 20, 2012.

The day marked the 50th anniversary of Glenn’s historic flight as the first American to orbit Earth.

The White House

U.S. President Barack Obama presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to astronaut and former senator John Glenn during a ceremony, May 29, 2012.

The award is the country’s highest civilian honor.

Capitol Hill

John Glenn poses with the Congressional Gold Medal next to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell during a ceremony in the Rotunda of the Capitol, November 16, 2011.

Space station chat

U.S. Sen. John Glenn talks with astronauts on the International Space Station via satellite in Columbus, Ohio, Feb. 20, 2012.