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Who became the first American to orbit Earth, in 1962?

John Glenn, in the capsule Friendship 7.

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  1. John Glenn ✔
  2. Alan Shepard
  3. Gus Grissom

Why: On February 20, 1962, John Glenn rode Friendship 7 into orbit and circled Earth three times. Alan Shepard flew first, but his 1961 flight went up and down without orbiting.

Huh, didn't know that: An Atlas rocket launched Friendship 7.

The dad joke
Why did John Glenn go around Earth three times? He wanted to make sure he didn't miss his stop.
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References

Answer: John Glenn. On February 20, 1962, John Glenn rode Friendship 7 into orbit and circled Earth three times. Alan Shepard flew first, but his 1961 flight went up and down without orbiting.

  1. NASA, John H. Glenn www.nasa.gov/people/john-glenn
    Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth on February, 20, 1962 in his Friendship 7 capsule.
    Checked 2026-10-10.
  2. NASA History, Friendship 7 www.nasa.gov/history/friendship7
    enabled Glenn to circle Earth three times
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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