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John Glenn, first American to orbit the Earth: 1921-2016

Relive history with John Glenn's groundbreaking Friendship 7 flight on February 20, 1962, marking a significant achievement in space exploration.

Written byTom Yulsman
| 1 min read
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Godspeed, John Glenn.

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The Friendship 7 spacecraft launches on a Mercury-Atlas rocket on Feb. 20, 1962, propelling John Glenn toward orbit — and making history. (Source: NASA)

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The right stuff: A camera on board the Friendship 7 Mercury spacecraft photographs astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. during his historic first orbital flight on February 20, 1962. (Source: NASA)

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Earth from 884,055 miles away on Dec. 7, 2016, the day John Glenn left us. (Source: NASA DISCOVR—EPIC)

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