Columbus – The Ohio Senate voted today to approve Senate Bill 155. The bill, introduced by Senator Tom Sawyer (D-Akron) and former Senator Gary Cates, will designate February 20th as “John Glenn Friendship 7 Day.” Senator Sawyer gave the following statement after the bill’s passage:
“On February 20, 1962, Ohioan John Glenn Jr. displayed great courage by becoming the first American to orbit the Earth. John Glenn’s mission put the United States back in the “space race” despite the questions that were left unanswered following the Soviet Union’s full orbital mission. Friendship 7’s launch enabled Glenn to orbit the Earth three times and served as the standard for future NASA projects.
“John Glenn’s heroism, especially on reentry, will forever be engraved in the memory of everyone who followed the reports of that first orbital flight. It remains an indelible moment in American history.”