With the possible exception of Neil Armstrong, there is no name more commonly associated with the astonishing feats of the United States space program than that of John Glenn.
As the first American to orbit the Earth, Glenn became a national hero in 1962.
In the decades that followed, he would prove that he was just as impressive as a public servant as he was as a pioneering astronaut.
Moments ago, several media outlets reported that Glenn has passed away at the age of 95.
Glenn was hospitalized on Wednesday, and a spokesperson for the John Glenn School of Public Affairs says he died Thursday afternoon at the James Cancer Center in Columbus.
Over the course of his six decades in the spotlight, Glenn devoted himself to serving the nation he loved.
At the advice of President John F. Kennedy, Glenn ran against Ohio Senator Stephen M. Young in the 1964 Democratic primary, but was forced to back out of the race due to injury.
Glenn remained close to the Kennedy family and was with Robert F. Kennedy when he was assassinated in 1968.
In 1974, Glenn finally achieved his dream of being elected to public office when he won a hard-fought primary and defeated Republican Cleveland Mayor Ralph Perk to earn a seat in the US Senate.
Glenn spent the next 24 years as a Democrat from Ohio in the Senate.
He briefly made a run for president in 1984.
Capping off an incredible lifetime of achievement, Glenn returned to space in 1998, at age 77, aboard the shuttle Discovery.
He was the last surviving member of the famed Mercury 7 group of test pilots.
Glenn’s name became a trending topic on Twitter just minutes after news of his death went public.
"John Glenn was a true pioneer who inspired generations of Americans to reach for the heavens," tweeted former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.
"The Corps lost a legend today…Semper Fi, Sir," wrote Glenn’s beloved Marine Corps.
Words like "legend" and "hero" are often overused in today’s media, but no one is more deserving of those titles than John Glenn.
Our condolences to the family of a truly great American.