John Glenn, First Astronaut to Orbit the Earth, Dies at 95

On Feb. 20, 2013, we remember the 51st anniversary of the flight of Friendship 7, which vaulted NASA astronaut John Glenn into space to orbit the Earth for the first time in history.

FILE - John Glenn in flight suit

President Barack Obama congratulates former United States Marine Corps pilot, astronaut, and United States Senator John Glenn after presenting him with a Medal of Freedom, May 29, 2012, during a ceremony at the White House in Washington.

Sen. John Glenn, left, and Apollo 11 Astronaut Neil Armstrong are seen prior to the start of a dinner at Ohio State University that honored the 50th anniversary of John Glenn's historic flight aboard Friendship 7 in Columbus, Ohio, Feb. 20, 2012.

Former U.S. Senator and astronaut John Glenn (C) waves to the crowd at the National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center for the arrival of space shuttle Discovery (back) while former shuttle commanders applaud in Virginia, April 19, 2012.

STS-95 payload specialist John Glenn works with the Osteporosis Experiment in Orbit (OSTEO) experiment located in a locker in the Discovery's middeck, Nov. 18, 1998.

Sen. John Glenn, D-Ohio, answers questions from the press in Jackson, Mississippi, Jan. 18, 1984.

Sen. John Glenn (D-Ohio) and wife, Anne, wave to crowd that attended a fund raiser in Houston, Dec. 16, 1982. Glenn is exploring the possibility of running for the Democratic nomination for President.

FILE - John Glenn, standing next to his Friendship 7 capsule in which he made his historic orbital flight, meets with President John F. Kennedy. Mrs. Glenn stands next to her husband.

FILE - U.S. President John F. Kennedy pays tribute to astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. for his February 1962 flight aboard Friendship 7. The Mercury-Atlas 6 mission marked the free world's first orbital manned flight.

A camera onboard the "Friendship 7" Mercury spacecraft photographs astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. during his historic flight, Feb. 20, 1962.

Astronaut John H. Glenn, Jr., undergoes a simulated orbital flight as part of his training for Project Mercury in the Manned Spacecraft Center's procedure trainer at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, Nov. 29, 1961.

On April 9, 1959, NASA introduced its first astronaut class, the Mercury 7.

Major John Glenn Jr., hugs his children, Dave and Lyn, while his wife, Anne, watches moments after Glenn landed at Floyd Bennett Field in New York following his record-breaking flight of just over 3 hours and 23 minutes from California, July 16, 1957.