On this day in 1962, John Hershel Glenn Jr. was successfully launched into space aboard the Friendship 7 spacecraft. Launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, Glenn's trip was the first orbital flight by an American astronaut.

First Astronauts. In 1959, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) chose seven men to become the first US astronauts. John Glenn was one of them.

Many Are Called, Few Are Chosen. Glenn was a lieutenant colonel in the US Marine Corps. He flew almost 150 combat missions during World War II and the Korean War. In 1957, he made the first nonstop supersonic flight across the United States ~ Los Angeles to New York ~ in three hours and 23 minutes.

Who's On First? Glen was not the first to be launched into space. Preceding him were two Americans ~ Alan B. Shepard Jr. and Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom ~ and two Soviets ~ Yuri A. Gagarin and Gherman S. Titov.

First Man in Space. That would be Gagarin. In April 1961, Gagarin and his spacecraft ~ Vostok 1 ~ made a full orbit before returning to Earth.

Next. Less than one month later, Shepard was launched into space aboard Freedom 7. His was a suborbital flight, meaning it did not fully orbit the earth.

Back in Suborbit Again. In July, Grissom made another suborbital flight aboard Liberty Bell 7.

Russians in Orbit. In August the Russians pulled ahead in the Space Race. Aboard Vostok 2, Titov spent more than 25 hours in space and made 17 orbits.

Champing at the Orbital Bit. Trying to keep ahead in the Space Race, on this day in 1962, John Glenn lifted off from the launch pad at 9:47 AM. Roughly 100,000 spectators watched from the ground and millions watched on television.

What a View. After separating from its launching rocket, the Friendship 7 capsule entered into an orbit around Earth at a speed of about 17,500 miles per hour. Glenn radioed back, "Capsule is turning around. Oh, that view is tremendous." Over the Indian Ocean on his first orbit, he became the first American to witness the sunset from 100 miles up.

Fireflies in Space? During his first orbit, Glenn noticed what looked like small, glowing fireflies floating past the capsule window. It wasn't until much later that NASA mission control realized the sparks were crystallized water vapor released by the capsule's air-conditioning system.

Nothing Like Having a Decorated Pilot at the Controls. Before the end of the first orbit, Friendship 7's automatic control system began to malfunction, causing the capsule to move erratically. At the end of the orbit, Glenn switched to manual control and took command of the craft.

More Problems. Toward the end of the final orbit, mission control received a mechanical signal indicating that the heat shield on the base of the capsule was possibly loose. At that speed, the capsule would be incinerated if the shield could not absorb and dissipate the high reentry temperatures.

Quick Thinking. It was decided that the craft's retrorockets, which would normally be jettisoned before reentry, would be left on to better secure the heat shield. Less than a minute later, Friendship 7 slammed into Earth's atmosphere.

Fiery Return. During Glenn's descent back to Earth, the straps holding the retrorockets gave out, flapping past Glenn's window. A cloak of ions caused by excessive friction covered the spacecraft. Glenn lost radio contact with mission control as he watched flaming chunks of retrorocket fly by his window.

Four Long Minutes. After four minutes of radio silence, Glenn's voice was heard again on the loudspeakers at mission control. Friendship 7 splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean, where it was picked up by the USS destroyer Noa.

Glenn's First Words? Upon stepping out of the capsule, Glenn commented, "It was hot in there." He had spent nearly five hours in space.

Hero's Welcome. Glenn was welcomed back as a national hero. On February 23, President John F. Kennedy visited him at Cape Canaveral. Glenn later addressed Congress and was given a ticker-tape parade in New York City.