President Obama Says John Glenn 'Lifted the Hopes of a Nation'

MANDEL NGAN/AFP/GettyImages(WASHINGTON) —  The death of legendary astronaut John Glenn sparked an outpouring of tributes, including from President Obama, who said the space pioneer “lifted the hopes of a nation.”

“With John’s passing, our nation has lost an icon and Michelle and I have lost a friend,” Obama said. “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.”

Obama called Glenn, who died at 95, the “last of America’s first astronauts.”

“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.”

The president said the nation has “lost an icon” and that he and Michelle Obama have “lost a friend.”

Tributes to Glenn, who was the first American to orbit the earth and also served as Ohio senator, began pouring into social media immediately after news of his death broke today.

The U.S. Marine Corps called Glenn a U.S. hero and one “Marine Corps Aviation’s legendary trailblazers.”

“Colonel John Glenn Jr. led a monumental life from his time serving as a fighter pilot in WWII and the Korean War to becoming the first American to orbit the Earth and fifth person in space,” the Marine Corps said in a statement.

 Several public figures including Retired Astronaut Scott Kelly, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson as well as President-elect Donald Trump, Vice President-elect Mike Pence, House Speaker Paul Ryan, House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi, took to social media to pay tribute to the space pioneer.

NASA tweeted a tribute as well.

We are saddened by the loss of Sen. John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth. A true American hero. Godspeed, John Glenn. Ad astra. pic.twitter.com/89idi9r1NB

— NASA (@NASA) December 8, 2016

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