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RIP John Glenn
- Thread starter vegster
- Start date
Guy Fawkes
The voice of treason
- Sep 29, 2007
- 8,199
Former astronaut John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, has died aged 95.
The former Marine and US Senator is best known for circling the earth in 1962 aboard a space capsule dubbed Friendship 7.
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.
"Though he soared deep into space and to the heights of Capitol Hill, his heart never strayed from his steadfast Ohio roots. Godspeed, John Glenn!" Ohio Governor John Kasich said.
Upon returning to Earth Glenn served the US Senate as a Democrat for 25 years.
In 1998, 36 years after his historic flight, he became the oldest man to travel to space at age 77.
RIP
The former Marine and US Senator is best known for circling the earth in 1962 aboard a space capsule dubbed Friendship 7.
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.
"Though he soared deep into space and to the heights of Capitol Hill, his heart never strayed from his steadfast Ohio roots. Godspeed, John Glenn!" Ohio Governor John Kasich said.
Upon returning to Earth Glenn served the US Senate as a Democrat for 25 years.
In 1998, 36 years after his historic flight, he became the oldest man to travel to space at age 77.
RIP
Guy Fawkes
The voice of treason
- Sep 29, 2007
- 8,199
Sad news, RIP.
To paraphrase a famous sci-fi show, he truly did boldly go where very few men had been before.
To paraphrase a famous sci-fi show, he truly did boldly go where very few men had been before.
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
He was also the oldest man to fly in space as he went in the Space Shuttle.
Hillian1
( . ) ( . )
Growing up you knew the names of Yuri Gagarin, John Glenn, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.
A true hero of mine.
A true hero of mine.
I used to run a decent-sized tech company based in San Francisco. Every year we'd get the whole sales team together for a week of target-setting for the next year and drinking in Vegas. The keynote speaker was always a big name celeb of some description, the name of whom we kept secret until they walked on stage. One year we got Michael Jordan, another year Michael Johnson, another year Joe Montana, and so on. They all got standing ovations when the audience clocked who it was. The person who received the longest and by far most ecstatic and enthusiastic welcome was John Glenn. He was viewed by the team as being a genuine out and out hero - almost as I would imagine Churchill would have been welcomed by a group of Brits.
After his speech, I had dinner with him and his wife, with a few of the senior sales guys. He was polite, insightful, tough as nails, intelligent and articulate. I have never forgotten his reception and that dinner. One of the highlights of my working life.
RIP John Glenn.
After his speech, I had dinner with him and his wife, with a few of the senior sales guys. He was polite, insightful, tough as nails, intelligent and articulate. I have never forgotten his reception and that dinner. One of the highlights of my working life.
RIP John Glenn.
jakarta
Well-known member
Also a fighter pilot, flew in WW2 and then shot down 3 MIG 15s in the Korean War, what a life he led...
GT49er
Well-known member
.... first man .............. after Gagarin.
Dr. Notthenineo'clocknews
Remainer
When you see an RIP on NSC and say to yourself "oh no!" ... Comforted by the fact I've just seen he was 95
Pevenseagull
Anti-greed coalition
- Jul 20, 2003
- 19,614
THAT was a life.
SeagullofMalaysia
Well-known member
RIP, he made society proud and gave his all to them
Normally when people post that they've done such-and-such, met so-and-so, or been somewhere I'm very much "meh". That however is the first 'life experience' post I've ever read on this board that has actually made me jealous
Cadiz Seagull
Grey bearded old man
I'm not sure Gargarin actually orbitted the earth. He was certainly the first man in space after various rats monkeys and dogs.
The Americans were not happy bunnies when the Russians beat them to put the first man in space. John Glenn gave them some of their pride back
Trufflehound
Re-enfranchised
Gherman Titov was the first man to orbit the earth (and the second cosmonaut in space after Gagarin).
Glenn was the third American (and fifth man) in space after Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom, but the first American to orbit.
If there is any truth in how The Right Stuff portrays it, the reason Glenn was more feted than Shepard or Grissom is that he was more willing than them to be the media package and he best fitted the image of the all-American hero. So the press loved him.
A singular achievement nonetheless, even if he wasn't the first. RIP.
Glenn was the third American (and fifth man) in space after Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom, but the first American to orbit.
If there is any truth in how The Right Stuff portrays it, the reason Glenn was more feted than Shepard or Grissom is that he was more willing than them to be the media package and he best fitted the image of the all-American hero. So the press loved him.
A singular achievement nonetheless, even if he wasn't the first. RIP.