At 9:47 a.m. (EST) on Feb. 20, 1962, John Glenn, aboard his Friendship 7 capsule, was launched from Cape Canaveral to become America's first astronaut to orbit the earth.
John Glenn & Friendship 7
At age 77, while still serving in the U.S. Senate, Glenn once again returned to space as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. He was the oldest American to ever fly in space, clearly demonstrating that he still had, "The Right Stuff."
Glenn died surrounded by his family at the Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio.
Safe journey, John Glenn!