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Elon Musk and other fans pay tribute to legendary astronaut John Glenn

The first American to orbit the Earth passed away Thursday at age 95.

Nicole Gallucci

on December 8, 2016

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

If you love space exploration, chances are you were inspired by John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth.

Many of his fans — including SpaceX founder Elon Musk and famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson — paid tribute to the astronaut and former U.S. senator after he died Thursday in Ohio at age 95.

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Glenn was the last survivor of America's first group of astronauts, known as The Mercury 7.

In addition to Glenn's groundbreaking accomplishments as an astronaut, the American hero also served as a marine fighter pilot during World War II and the Korean War.

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In wake of his death, fellow astronauts who had the pleasure of knowing Glenn, along with many others who saw him as an inspiration, offered their praise and condolences on Twitter.

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As a decorated Marine and all-around badass, Glenn flew 59 combat missions in the South Pacific during World War II and 90 during the Korean War.

According to Life magazine in 1962, Glenn apparently returned from a mission in Korea with 375 holes (!) in his plane. He escaped without serious injury, and his impressed crew members called the aircraft "the flying doily" -- very creative.

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Glenn began his career in politics when he was elected a representative of Ohio in the U.S. Senate in 1974. He served as a senator for four six-year terms before making history again in 1998

He is most famous for being the first American to orbit the Earth back on Feb. 20, 1962, but his epic career in space didn't stop there. Though retired as an astronaut in 1964, in 1998 he returned to NASA and became the oldest man to travel to space at age 77.

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Nicole Gallucci

Nicole is a Senior Editor at Mashable. She primarily covers entertainment and digital culture trends, and in her free time she can be found watching TV, sending voice notes, or going viral on Twitter for admiring knitwear. You can follow her on Twitter @nicolemichele5.