1962: John Glenn's orbit of Earth
John H. Glenn, Jr., the oldest of seven astronauts selected by
NASA for
Project Mercury spaceflight training (and later a U.S. senator), became on this day in 1962 the first American to orbit Earth, doing so three times.
More events on this day
1986:The Soviet Union launched the core module of the space station
Mir.
1976:The
Southeast Asia Treaty Organization held its final exercise in
Manila (and formally ended on June 30, 1977).
1943:The volcano
Parícutin in Michoacán, Mexico, erupted, eventually burying two villages.
1929:The U.S. Congress formally accepted the deeds of cession of eastern Samoa, forming
American Samoa
