Lt. Col. John H. Glenn, the first American astronaut to orbit Earth, holds a press conference in January 1964 to announce his candidacy for Senate to represent his home state of Ohio.

FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.

RELATED CONTENT

On October 29, 1998, the NASA Mission Control countdown of the launch of space shuttle Discovery remarks on the historic return to space by crew member John Glenn. Four decades earlier, Glenn had been the first American to orbit Earth.

On March 1, 1962, New York City honored astronaut John Glenn by showering him with 3,474 tons of ticker tape to celebrate his return from his first space flight. Aboard Friendship 7, Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth. Following the historic parade, Glenn expresses his gratitude to the thousands of spectators gathered at City Hall.

HISTORY honors astronaut and former Ohio senator John Glenn, who died on December 8, 2016 at the age of 95.

After weeks of campaigning, Sen. Lyndon Johnson of Texas officially announces his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination at a press conference on July 5, 1960. But by July 14, after a poor first-ballot showing against Sen. John F. Kennedy, Johnson accepted a second-place role, becoming his former rival's running mate.

In this "This Day in History" video clip learn about different events that have occurred on October 29th. Some of the events include Black Tuesday when the stock market crashed and when Israel invaded the Sinai Peninsula. Also, Muhammad Ali won his first fight and John Glenn returned to space.

In a secretly recorded telephone conversation with Democratic Senator Vance Hartke of Indiana on January 23, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson pressures Hartke to vote for his excise tax bill, which is hung up in the Senate. On June 21, 1965, Johnson signed the Excise Tax Reduction Act into law.