Former astronaut, senator John Glenn dies

John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, has died.

The former astronaut and U.S. Senator had been hospitalized for more than a week in Ohio.

Glenn apologized for his poor eyesight this year at the renaming of Columbus' airport after him. He said then he'd lost some of his eyesight because of macular degeneration and a small stroke. Glenn had a heart valve replacement in 2014.

Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962. He served as a U.S. senator from Ohio from 1974 to 1999.

This story was originally published December 8, 2016 at 3:34 PM with the headline "Former astronaut, senator John Glenn dies."