On Thursday, John Glenn, who became the first American to orbit Earth in 1962 and later became the world’s oldest astronaut, died at the age of 95. Glenn, who also served four terms as a U.S. Democratic senator, was credited with reviving U.S. pride in its space race against the Soviet Union. His astronaut career, as well as his decorated record as a fighter pilot in World War II and the Korean War, helped propel Glenn to the U.S. Senate back in 1974, where he represented his home state of Ohio for over two decades.
