John Glenn one of the original 7 Mercury astronauts-91 years old today. Glenn was the first American to orbit the earth on Friendship 7 on February 20th, 1962.  In 1998 at age 77 he went up again in the Space Shuttle. John Glenn was born in Cambridge, Ohio and has been married to his wife Annie since 1943.

He was a Senator from the state of Ohio from 1974 until 1999. Glenn ran for president in 1984. I remember thinking that with the movie “The Right Stuff” out that year that Glenn had a decent shot at the Democratic nomination but his presidential candidacy never really got much traction. Scott Carpenter is the only other remaining member of the Mercury 7 who is alive.