Astronaut John Glenn. On Feb. 20, 1962, 58 years ago today, Glenn (then, a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps) was hurled into space aboard the NASA Mercury Atlas (MA-6) spacecraft.

Glenn, both the first American to enter space, also became the oldest human ever to venture into space as a working member of the Space Shuttle Discovery Crew on October 29, 1998.

John Glenn, a United States Marine, a NASA Astronaut and then a United States Senator - his duty bound focus, and incredible heroism helped lead all mankind into space.

John Glenn died on December 8, 2016, and, was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery.