• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Alert

ALERT: Update on Maintenance and Upgrades at Central Library More Info

Home - Arlington County Virginia - Logo
MENUMENU
  • Join Now
  • My Account
    • Login
    • My Checkouts
    • My Holds
    • My Lists
    • My Reading History
    • About Borrowing
    • About Holds
    • About My Account
  • Hours & Locations
    • All Hours & Locations
    • Holiday Closings
  • News
    • Library News
    • Director's Blog
    • Get Email Updates
  • Contact Us

Arlington Public Library

MENUMENU
  • Search
  • Collections
  • Services
  • Events
  • Explore
  • Join Now
  • My Account
    • Login
    • About Borrowing
    • About Holds
    • About My Account
  • Hours & Locations
    • All Hours & Locations
    • Holiday Closings
  • News
    • Library Blog
    • Get Email Updates
  • Contact Us

A Famous Neighbor

Post Published: February 27, 2007

Wmsburg Jr High 69btFebruary marks the 45th anniversary of John Glenn’s space orbit. He was one of America’s original seven Mercury astronauts and orbited the Earth three times on February 10, 1962 in the capsule Friendship 7. While Alan Shepard had been the first American astronaut in space in 1960, Glenn was the first American to circle the globe.

Since Glenn and his family were long-time residents of Arlington, that also makes him the first Arlingtonian to accomplish such a feat!

Drawn to Northern Virginia in 1958 by the promise of good schools, the Glenn family soon took up residence on North Harrison Street where their children simply had to cross the street to get to class at Williamsburg Junior High School.

When Glenn was sent to NASA’s astronaut training at Langley Research Center in Hampton, 180 miles from Arlington, his wife Annie and the children remained in their new house and John commuted on weekends.

After John Glenn’s successful orbit, he received a national hero’s welcome, but his home remained in Arlington. “Even Lyndon Johnson and his wife Lady Bird were welcomed at the house for Glenn’s 41st birthday party, dining on Annie’s ham loaf and staying well into the night.”

With thanks to Peter Golkin for his feature on John Glenn from which much of this is excerpted. His entire essay can be found in the Virginia Room.

What About You?
Do you remember Glenn’s historic flight? How about the Glenn family as your neighbor? Let us know what you remember!

 

February 27, 2007 by Web Editor

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    July 2, 2011 at 10:47 AM

    The radio broadcast of his flight was piped throughout W-LHS. I remember listening to it in the gym locker room. Susan Clay [suec@fox-run.net]

Footer

About Us

  • Mission & Vision
  • Charlie Clark Center for Local History
  • News Room
  • Get Email Updates

Administration

  • Policies
  • Library Staff
  • Job Opportunities
  • Propose a Program or Partnership

Support Your Library

  • Friends of the Library
  • Giving Opportunities
  • Donating Materials
  • Volunteer Opportunities

Our Mission

We champion the power of stories, information and ideas.

We create space for culture and connection.

We embrace inclusion and diverse points of view.
























Download the Library App

Download the Library App

Arlington County | Terms & Conditions | Accessibility | Site Map
· Copyright © 2025 Arlington County Government ·