John Glenn is presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on May 29, 2012 at the White House.(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

John Glenn is presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on May 29, 2012 at the White House. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Former astronaut and Ohio Senator John Glenn died today at the age of 95.

In 1962, Glenn became the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth. He later served 24 years in the Senate and he also ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984. More than a decade later, at age 77, Glenn returned to flight in the shuttle Discovery, making him the oldest person in space.

Glenn passed away at a hospital in Columbus, Ohio, where he had been hospitalized for more than a week, Hank Wilson, communications director for the John Glenn School of Public Affairs, told the Associated Press. He was last surviving member of the original Mercury astronauts.

In 2012, President Barack Obama presented Glenn with a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. The President released a statement today saying, in part, that Glenn’s orbit “reminded us that with courage and a spirit of discovery there’s no limit to the heights we can reach together.” He also talks about Glenn’s legacy of breaking barriers:

When John Glenn blasted off from Cape Canaveral atop an Atlas rocket in 1962, he lifted the hopes of a nation. And when his Friendship 7 spacecraft splashed down a few hours later, the first American to orbit the Earth reminded us that with courage and a spirit of discovery there’s no limit to the heights we can reach together. With John’s passing, our nation has lost an icon and Michelle and I have lost a friend. John spent his life breaking barriers, from defending our freedom as a decorated Marine Corps fighter pilot in World War II and Korea, to setting a transcontinental speed record, to becoming, at age 77, the oldest human to touch the stars. John always had the right stuff, inspiring generations of scientists, engineers and astronauts who will take us to Mars and beyond–not just to visit, but to stay. Today, the people of Ohio remember a devoted public servant who represented his fellow Buckeyes in the U.S. Senate for a quarter century and who fought to keep America a leader in science and technology. Our thoughts are with his beloved wife Annie, their children John and Carolyn and the entire Glenn family. The last of America’s first astronauts has left us, but propelled by their example we know that our future here on Earth compels us to keep reaching for the heavens. On behalf of a grateful nation, Godspeed, John Glenn.

Among a host of others, President-Elect Donald Trump shared his condolences on Twitter.

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