NASA Says 'Happy Birthday' to John Glenn
Former astronaut and U.S. Senator John H. Glenn celebrates his 95th birthday today. In 1962, Glenn climbed aboard his Mercury capsule (the Friendship 7, seen above) and became the first American to orbit the Earth. He had been selected as an astronaut for Project Mercury in 1959 after a distinguished military career. After leaving NASA he served in the U.S. Senate for 25 years, representing his home state of Ohio. He returned to space in 1998 aboard the space shuttle Discovery, conducting biological research and performing other crew tasks.