John Glenn had one of the most unusual American careers of the 20th century — war hero, test pilot, astronaut, and U.S. senator.

Career highlights:

1. Marine Corps combat pilot (WWII & Korea)

• Flew 59 combat missions in World War II in the Pacific.

• Flew 90 missions in Korea.

• Shot down 3 MiG-15s in the Korean War, earning the nickname “MiG Mad Marine.”    

2. Record-setting test pilot (1957)

• Made the first supersonic transcontinental flight across the U.S. (“Project Bullet”) in just over 3 hours 23 minutes, setting a speed record.

3. Mercury Seven astronaut (1959)

• Selected as one of NASA’s original Mercury Seven, America’s first astronaut class.

4. First American to orbit Earth (1962)

• Piloted Friendship 7 on February 20, 1962.

• Completed 3 Earth orbits in under 5 hours.

• This was one of the biggest early American wins in the Space Race.    

5. U.S. Senator from Ohio (1974–1999)

• Served 24 years in the U.S. Senate.

• Worked on nuclear nonproliferation, science policy, and government oversight.

6. Returned to space at age 77 (1998)

• Flew on Space Shuttle Discovery, becoming the oldest person to go to space at that time.

• Participated in aging and human physiology research.

Major honors:

• Multiple Distinguished Flying Crosses

• Congressional Space Medal of Honor

• NASA Distinguished Service Medal

• Presidential Medal of Freedom (2012)

I met John Glenn when was 90. He was a great man, a scholar, and a great American.

• Military Service: Glenn was a U.S. Marine Corps pilot who flew combat missions in both World War II and the Korean War.

• Test Pilot: He became a highly respected test pilot, setting a transcontinental speed record in 1957 by flying from Los Angeles to New York in under 3.5 hours (“Project Bullet”).

• NASA and Mercury Seven: In 1959, Glenn was selected as one of NASA’s original Mercury Seven astronauts.

• First American to Orbit the Earth: On February 20, 1962, during the Mercury-Atlas 6 mission aboard Friendship 7, he became the first American to orbit the Earth — circling the globe three times.

• Political Career: After retiring from NASA and the military, Glenn served as a U.S. Senator from Ohio for 24 years (1974–1999).

• Return to Space: In 1998, at age 77, Glenn flew on the Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-95 mission), becoming the oldest person ever to fly in space.