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Speed demon pilot is the first American to fly in space

We’ll fly circles around those Russians! Sure, Yuri Gragarin was first to orbit Earth, but only once, and only for 108 minutes. John Glenn will go around 3 times, staying in flight almost 5 hours. This guy’s got the goods, too. You might remember him from Project Bullet in 1957, when he destroyed a speed record flying from L.A. to New York in under 3.5 hours.

Speed demon pilot is the first American to fly in space

1962

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