John Herschel Glenn Jr. (July 18, 1921 – December 8, 2016), (Col, USMC, Ret.), was an American aviator, engineer, astronaut, and senator. He was one of the "Mercury Seven" group of military test pilots selected in 1959 by NASA to become America's first astronauts and fly the Project Mercury spacecraft. On February 20, 1962, Glenn flew the Friendship 7 mission and became the first American to orbit the Earth. He retired from the Marines in 1965 and became a US Senator in 1974. In 1998 he went back to space at the age of 77.
Glenn had been in hospital in Columbus, Ohio, for more than a week and died surrounded by his children and wife of 73 years.
He is expected to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia.
