John Glenn was the first American to orbit Earth. He was born in 1921 in New Concord, Ohio and studied engineering. Glenn had a long career as an astronaut, making history as the first American to orbit Earth in 1962. Later in life, he returned to space in 1998 at the age of 77, making him the oldest person to fly in space. Throughout his life, Glenn received numerous honors and awards for his contributions to space exploration.