John Herschel Glenn Jr. (1921–2016) was the first American to orbit the Earth, flying aboard Friendship 7 on February 20, 1962. A Marine Corps fighter ace in Korea and a test pilot, he was selected as one of the Mercury Seven in 1959. His three-orbit flight (4 h 55 min) marked the high point of Project Mercury and made him an instant national hero. He later served as a US Senator for Ohio (1974–1999) and returned to space in 1998 aboard the shuttle Discovery at the age of 77, becoming the oldest person ever to fly in space.