While the space exploration escapades of John Glenn are quite well known to the public, his personal life may not be as recognizable to the average Joe. In this article, you will learn more about John Glenn with a focus on some of his personal endeavors and accomplishments.
1) Throughout his years (both within and outside of the political scene), Glenn was quite close with the Kennedy family and was with Senator Robert Kennedy when he was assassinated.
2) John Glenn’s induction into the Astronaut Hall of Fame took place in 1990.
3) When it comes to compatibility in the land of love, Glenn was lucky to snag his childhood sweetheart (Anna Margaret Castor), who he first encountered while in New Concord. They played together in the school band.
4) Glenn and Anna had two children, one boy and one girl , named David and Carolyn.
5) Before they were married, Glenn and his future wife both attended Muskingum College, located in New Concord.
6) Becoming a world-renown space traveler has its perks when it comes to locating people in both high and low places. In 1963, a letter was sent to Glenn that revealed an interesting truth. A young girl residing in Sheffield, England named Anne Glenn wrote a letter sending him congratulations for successfully completing his orbit around the Earth. Inside of the letter, a family tree was added, which showed that her father (George Arthur Thomas Glenn) was the cousin of John. It turns out that Glenn was a part of the Glenn-Macintosh clan affiliated with Scotland.
Speaking of other relatives, John Glenn’s great-nephew is a well-known camera operator named Glenn Thomas. His nephew resides in New York, NY and was named after him , born just three days after he completed his first exploration of space.
7) Some sources state that Glenn is actually an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church.
8) The house that Glenn once lived in while in New Concord has been transformed into an education center, where American history has been taught since the 1940s.
9) Glenn and his wife were hospitalized on August 4, 2006, when they suffered injuries as a result of a car accident, which took place on I-270 , close to Columbus, Ohio. Two days later, they were released after receiving treatment for their bumps and bruises. Glenn came home with a sore chest and also had a fracture in his sternum. His wife was lucky to walk away with minor injuries. Luckily, the driver of the other vehicle involved in the accident was not harmed. In the end, Glenn was given a citation for not heeding to yield the right-of-way.
10) While in the military, Glenn was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, Navy Unit Commendation, Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal, and Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal. Other recognition the former astronaut received was the Woodrow Wilson Award and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal.
