Cold War in Space: The Political Story Behind John Glenn's Orbit | Historian Jeff Shesol Interview

Описание: In this exclusive Life Stories interview, historian and author Jeff Shesol explores John Glenn Jr.’s legacy and his historic Friendship 7 flight. From his small-town upbringing in Ohio to becoming a national hero during the Cold War, Shesol highlights the pivotal roles that Glenn and John F. Kennedy played in transforming America's standing in the space race against the Soviet Union.

00:00:49 Introduction: the political story behind John Glenn, space and the cold war
00:01:36 Historian Jeff Shesol on rediscovering John Glenn
00:03:22 John Glenn Jr’s background and early life
00:06:56 The beginning of Glenn’s passion for flying
00:08:41 John Glenn military background and Project Bullet
00:13:54 Cold war in space: Americans vs. Soviets in space, Sputnik 1 and 2 
00:17:58 The creation of NASA and Project Mercury 
00:21:27 Selection of the seven Project Mercury astronauts
00:27:57 Life Magazine coverage of space
00:30:17 Fear and the space race: the risks of space travel
00:39:51 John Glenn’s wife, Annie Glenn
00:41:46 Preparation for Friendship 7 amid cold war tensions 
00:47:45 John F Kennedy and space: NASA and America's role in the cold war
00:50:57 Friendship 7 launch day: John Glenn's orbit February 20 1962 
01:08:36 Glenn’s retirement from NASA & return to space 
01:11:49 Conclusion: why travel to space today?
---  
🔍 About Jeff Shesol

Jeff Shesol is a historian, author, and speechwriter. Shesol has written three books and his latest work, Mercury Rising: John Glenn, John Kennedy, and the New Battleground of the Cold War, was a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice. Shesol joined Bill Clinton as a speechwriter in 1997, and served three years in the white house as deputy chief speechwriter. He then co-founded West Wing Writers, a strategic communications firm with former speechwriters from the Clinton, Obama, and Biden administrations. A Rhodes Scholar, Shesol earned his master’s in history from Oxford after graduating with honors from Brown University. 

Interviewee: Jeff Shesol, Historian
Interviewed by: George Kunhardt
Interview Date: October 8, 2024
A Life Stories Special

About Life Stories: 
As a division of the Kunhardt Film Foundation, Life Stories is a non-profit media organization that creates and distributes documentaries and interviews about people whose lives inspire meaningful change. Our films, interviews and educational content address issues of social justice, history, politics, arts and culture by shining the spotlight on relatable human stories. The aim of our YouTube Channel is to provide open access to all of our content for communities and classrooms. 
 
©️ Kunhardt Film Foundation. All Rights Reserved. 
 
---  
Teaching resources: https://www.lifestories.org/learning/...
Subscribe for more free documentaries:    / @lifestoriesinterviews  
 
#JeffShesol #JohnGlenn #Friendship7 #LifeStories