John Glenn, a trailblazing astronaut who broke the glass ceiling twice by becoming the first American to orbit the Earth and the first senior citizen to venture into space, has died aged 95. “We are saddened by the loss of Sen John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth. A true American hero. Godspeed, John Glenn,” NASA tweeted immediately after his death was announced by the Ohio State University.
Glenn died at the James Cancer Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, where he was hospitalised for more than a week, the John Glenn College of Public Affairs announced.
The former astronaut had been battling health issues after suffering a stroke a few years ago.
He had also undergone a heart valve replacement surgery in 2014.
“With John’s passing, our nation has lost an icon and Michelle and I have lost a friend. John spent his life breaking barriers, from defending our freedom as a decorated Marine Corps fighter pilot in World War II and Korea, to setting a transcontinental speed record, to becoming, at age 77, the oldest human to touch the stars,” President Barack Obama said in a statement.