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Note to teachers: For a shorter lesson, stop video at 5:45.
- Former astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn died on Thursday, December 9, 2016. He was 95-years-old.
- In 1962, Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth, circling the globe three times.
- Glenn was a highly-decorated Marine fighter pilot in World War II and the Korean War.
- Glenn served four terms in the U.S. Senate from Ohio and became chief author of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act.
- In 1998 at age 77, Glenn became the oldest person to fly in space when he returned on board the shuttle Discovery.
Class discussion questions
- Essential question : What makes a person a hero? What makes a person take the risks in life that John Glenn took?
- Why do many people view John Glenn as an American hero?
- NewsHour correspondent Miles O'Brien said Glenn's was a "life well-lived." Is there someone in your life who comes to mind as having a life well-lived? Who is it? What could you tell your classmates about this person?
