Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

My Effect on the World

I believe my life has made an impact on the world. My space mission gave future astronauts and scientists the hope to succeed in space. As a Marine, I fought in World War II and the Korean War. I feel that I have set an example of patriotism to those who follow behind.

Characteristics

I hope my life will inspire people to be courageous and patriotic. I took a risk and chanced my life to be the first person to orbit the Earth. It took patience and perseverance to stand the tests and wait for my chance to become an astronaut. I was always very adventurous and ambitious. This is why I continued through all of the trials put before me and succeeded to make my dream of becoming an astronaut come true. Lastly, my family upbringing made me very patriotic. I served my country as a Marine, an astronaut, and as a senator. I hope I inspire you to reach for the stars, too!

Book Review

Paul Kupperberg has a very informative style of writing this biography. He was very organized in labeling the chapters of John Glenn's life. He gave me enough facts about John Glenn's life that I feel like I know him. This biography of John Glenn was published in 2004 and is in The Library of Congress. I would definitely read another book by Paul Kupperberg because he researches his subject matter thoroughly.

Interesting/Special

There are many interesting things about me. One is, I married my high school sweetheart, who was also a longtime family friend, Ann Margaret Castor. We had two lovely children, John David and Carolyn Ann, and two grandchildren. My wife and I are still married to this day.

Another one was when I took off from Cape Canaveral, Florida in the Friendship 7 on February 20, 1962. It was then I became the first American to orbit the Earth during the Mercury-Atlas 6 mission. I was the oldest of the seven Mercury astronauts at only forty. My experiences with space traveling weren't over quite yet.

One of my favorite experiences (but scariest) was during this Mercury-Atlas 6 mission when my instruments and the ship were giving us problems while in space. Mission control let me know right before re-entry into Earth's atmosphere that I had to fly the capsule in on my own because of an alarm indicating a serious problem with the ship. I made it safely to earth only to find out later it was a false alarm!

My Life!

I was born in Cambridge, Ohio, in 1921. My mother was a school teacher and my father was a war veteran who ran a plumbing company. My growing up gave me a love for my country and a great sense of patriotism. I was introduced to airplanes by my father, and after my first airplane ride I dreamed of the day that I could sit in the cockpit and operate all of the controls by myself. In high school I played many sports, played in the band, and wrote for the newspaper, but I was especially interested in science.

After high school, I attended Muskingum College. I followed the conflict going on around the world by listening to the radio. It did not seem long before the United States would enter WWII. This gave great opportunity for me to fulfill my dream for becoming a pilot. The Civilian Pilot Training Program was created by the U.S. Department of Commerce to train pilots to fly for the military if necessary. In July 1941, I became a pilot! As a pilot, I was given may awards of distinction. I was a Marine fighter in World War II. After WWII was over, there was a different kind of war taking place. The Cold War was a time of tension between the United States and Russia. America was trying to spread democracy while the Soviet Union was trying to spread communism. The Soviets surprised the world by launching the first artificial satellite, Sputnik. This was very worrisome for the U.S. and Europe about a future where the Soviets would have a space station that would control the world. We became more and more aggressive in our efforts toward space exploration.

I felt confident that a pilot could function as well in zero gravity as he could on Earth. After president Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, the U.S. was finally committed to getting a man into space. On April 6, 1959, I was selected to train as an astronaut for the NASA space program, and on February 20, 1962, I was on the Friendship 7 capsule. This was a historical fight where I became the first American to orbit the Earth. There were many problems with this mission but I ended up back on Earth safely after many challenges. Because of my many years of studies and training, I was able to use my expertise to help get me home. The entire world watched as I became the first man to orbit the Earth. I overcame all the challenges put before me by perseverance and hard work. Many other pilots took the challenges, but before I knew it I was at the last round and successfully won.

After President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, my wife and I decided that it was very important for good people to enter public life. This is when I ran for the U.S Senate. In the beginning of the campaign I hit my head and suffered a horrible concussion. I decided to put the race on hold and run in the next election. In 1974, I was elected by the state of Ohio to the U.S. Senate where I served four terms.

I am John Glenn and I am an American hero. I was the first American to orbit the Earth. I am proud to share with you my life and the obstacles that I over came to reach my dreams. Even though it took me a very long time to get where I am today, it was all worth it. Anything is possible if you work hard and believe! Dream large and reach for the moon!