Former astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn is dead at age 95.

Multiple news sources reported Glenn had been hospitalized but gave no details as to the ailment for which he was being treated.

Glenn was born in 1921, he became was a Marine Corps fighter pilot, an astronaut, a U.S. Senator and was a personal friend of the Kennedy family.

Glenn was also one of the "Mercury Seven" in the 60's, a group of pilots selected to fly the first American space mission.

In February 1962, Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth on the Friendship 7 mission.  In 1998, he became (and still holds the record for) the oldest person in space, at the spunky age of 77.

Throughout his life, he was known as an advocate for space research.

John Glenn Mercury Mission
John Glenn Mercury Mission
loading...
Official U.S. Senate portrait of John Glenn, 1990s.
Official U.S. Senate portrait of John Glenn, 1990s.
loading...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Godspeed, John Glenn: fly high.

 

 

More From 99.9 KTDY