{"id":41525,"date":"2016-12-08T14:37:00","date_gmt":"2016-12-08T19:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-358032"},"modified":"2024-02-08T16:38:13","modified_gmt":"2024-02-08T21:38:13","slug":"who-was-john-glenn-grades-k-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/learning-resources\/for-kids-and-students\/who-was-john-glenn-grades-k-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Was John Glenn? (Grades K-4)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"padding-top-5 padding-bottom-3 width-full maxw-full hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-article-intro\"><div class=\"width-full maxw-full article-header\"><div class=\"margin-bottom-2 width-full maxw-full\"><p class=\"label carbon-60 margin-0 margin-bottom-3 padding-0\">2 min read<\/p><h1 class=\"display-48 margin-bottom-2\">Who Was John Glenn? (Grades K-4)<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>This article is for students grades K-4.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>John Glenn was a NASA astronaut. He was part of the first group of astronauts NASA picked. He was the first American to orbit Earth. He also became a U.S. senator. Later, he became the oldest person to fly in space.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-cover \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Rocketman2-1920x1080-web.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Rocketman2-1920x1080-web.jpg?w=1920\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Image of Astronaut John H. Glenn Jr., Mercury-Atlas 6 pilot.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 60% 100%; object-position: 60% 100%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Rocketman2-1920x1080-web.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Rocketman2-1920x1080-web.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Rocketman2-1920x1080-web.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Rocketman2-1920x1080-web.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Rocketman2-1920x1080-web.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Rocketman2-1920x1080-web.jpg?resize=400,225 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Rocketman2-1920x1080-web.jpg?resize=600,338 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Rocketman2-1920x1080-web.jpg?resize=900,506 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Rocketman2-1920x1080-web.jpg?resize=1200,675 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>What Did John Glenn Do Before He Was an Astronaut?<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>John Glenn was born in Ohio. He was in college when World War II started. Glenn left school to fight in the war. He became a Marine pilot. Later, he trained other pilots. He also fought in the Korean War. After Korea, he became an airplane test pilot. In 1957, Glenn set a speed record when he flew from Los Angeles to New York in less than 3 1\/2 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b><b>What Did John Glenn Do as an Astronaut?<\/b><\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1959, NASA picked the first group of astronauts. The seven men would fly on the Mercury spacecraft. NASA called these men the \u201cMercury Seven.\u201d John Glenn was one of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth. He named his spacecraft \u201cFriendship 7.\u201d He made three orbits around Earth. He spent about five hours in space. His mission showed that the Mercury spacecraft worked in space. The mission also helped NASA learn more about being in space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b><b><b>What Did John Glenn Do After He Left NASA?<\/b><\/b><\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After John Glenn left NASA, he became a U.S. senator from the state of Ohio. He was a senator for 25 years. Later, Glenn worked with college students at Ohio State University in Columbus.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/ksc-98ec-1392.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"673\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/ksc-98ec-1392.jpg?w=1024\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"STS-95 Payload Specialist John H. Glenn Jr., senator from Ohio, gives a thumbs up on his arrival at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility aboard a T-38 jet. \" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/ksc-98ec-1392.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/ksc-98ec-1392.jpg?resize=300,197 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/ksc-98ec-1392.jpg?resize=768,505 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/ksc-98ec-1392.jpg?resize=400,263 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/ksc-98ec-1392.jpg?resize=600,394 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/ksc-98ec-1392.jpg?resize=900,592 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">John Glenn became the oldest person to fly in space on his second flight, aboard space shuttle Discovery.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">Credits: NASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Happened on John Glenn\u2019s Second Spaceflight?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1998, John Glenn got to fly to space again. He flew with six other astronauts on the space shuttle. It had been 36 years since his first spaceflight. The new flight would help NASA learn what being in space does to older people. Because NASA knew so much about him, Glenn was perfect for the job. He was 77 years old when he flew on the shuttle. He was the oldest person to fly in space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How Long Did John Glenn Live?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>John Glenn was born on July 18, 1921. He died in Columbus, Ohio, on December 8, 2016. He was 95 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>More About John Glenn:<\/b><br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/nasa2explore\/sets\/72157677594211745\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">John Glenn Image Gallery<\/a><br><a href=\"\/learning-resources\/for-kids-and-students\/what-was-project-mercury-grades-k-4\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-358032\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">What Was Project Mercury?<\/a><br>Read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/learning-resources\/for-kids-and-students\/who-was-john-glenn-grades-5-8\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Who Was John Glenn? (Grades 5-8)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-center nasa-button-link padding-y-1 padding-x-0 hds-module wp-block-nasa-blocks-related-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/learning-resources\/for-students-grades-k-4\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"button-primary button-primary-md link-external-true\" aria-label=\"Explore More For Students Grades K-4\">\n\t\t<span class=\"line-height-alt-1\">Explore More For Students Grades K-4<\/span>\n\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"button-primary-circle\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t<\/a>\n\n\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This article is for students grades K-4. John Glenn was a NASA astronaut. He was part of the first group of astronauts NASA picked. He was the first American to orbit Earth. He also became a U.S. senator. Later, he became the oldest person to fly in space. What Did John Glenn Do Before He […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":48989,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2849,3777,3291],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[10610,10549,12705],"coauthors":[12657],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Who Was John Glenn? (Grades K-4)","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/learning-resources\/for-kids-and-students\/who-was-john-glenn-grades-k-4\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/learning-resources\/for-kids-and-students\/who-was-john-glenn-grades-k-4\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/jglenn.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/jglenn.jpg"},"articleSection":"Learning Resources","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"NASA STEM Team"}],"creator":["NASA STEM Team"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Learning Resources","For Kids and Students","Grades 5 - 8","Explore"],"dateCreated":"2016-12-08T19:37:00Z","datePublished":"2016-12-08T19:37:00Z","dateModified":"2024-02-08T21:38:13Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"Who Was John Glenn? (Grades K-4)\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/learning-resources\/for-kids-and-students\/who-was-john-glenn-grades-k-4\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/jglenn.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2016-12-08T19:37:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"Learning Resources\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Learning Resources,For Kids and Students,Grades 5 - 8,Explore\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"NASA STEM Team\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":2,"time_ago":"8 years","featured_image":{"id":48989,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/jglenn.jpg","title":"jglenn","alt":"","caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41525"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/99"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41525"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41525\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":611940,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41525\/revisions\/611940"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41525"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41525"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=41525"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=41525"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=41525"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}