The New Frontier Man of the Year

White button with blue text surrounding a blue photograph of John Glenn.

Decorated war veteran, astronaut, and Senator, John Glenn is a legendary American figure from Ohio who has been awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree from 10 universities.  On July 16, 1957, Glenn beat the cross-country speed record by flying from California to New York in 3 hours and 23 minutes.  The New York Times named him “Man of the Year.”

President Kennedy adopted the slogan “The New Frontier” in his 1960 acceptance speech to the Democratic Presidential nomination.  This slogan became the theme of Kennedy’s administration.  On February 20, 1962, Glenn piloted the Mercury-Atlas 6 "Friendship 7" spacecraft on the first U.S. manned orbital mission, which completed a successful three-orbit mission around the earth, reaching an orbital velocity of approximately 17,500 miles per hour.  Glenn’s triple orbit around the earth took 4 hours and 55 minutes.  In 1998 became the oldest man to fly in space aboard the STS-95.  In 2012, Glenn received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama.