GODSPEED, JOHN GLENN

The United States marks the 50th anniversary today of the first flight of an American into orbit. But the historic landmark is bittersweet: the first nation to land people on the Moon now depends on Russia for its manned space flights.

At 9:47am on February 20, 1962, on the eleventh try, astronaut John Glenn took off from Cape Canaveral aboard an Atlas rocket to make three orbits around the Earth in just under five hours, and made an overnight national hero out of Glenn.

Now 90 years old, Glenn has not forgotten the political implications of his mission.

We always say that we remember what we were doing when the President died, and other momentous occasions. On February 20, it was the day after my brother Kenny's birthday and for Kenny's birthday, Betty had made a German Chocolate Cake from scratch. It was so good it was all eaten. She and I decided to make another one on February 20.

In between sifting, melting, baking and icing, we excitedly watched the flight of John Glenn.

GODSPEED, John Glenn!