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Grand Turk Island

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Grand Turk is an island in the Turks and Caicos Islands , a British Overseas Territory, tropical islands in the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean and northern West Indies . It is the largest island in the Turks Islands (the smaller of the two archipelagos that make up the island territory) with 18 km (6.9 sq mi). Grand Turk contains the territory's capital, Cockburn Town , and the JAGS McCartney International Airport . The island is the administrative, historic, cultural and financial centre of the territory and has the second-largest population of the islands at approximately 4,831 people in 2012.

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160-609: The name comes from a species of cactus on the island, the Turk's cap cactus ( Melocactus intortus ), which has a distinctive cap, reminiscent of an Ottoman fez . In addition, this interpretation of the name received a reaction in the Turkish press on the grounds that it was anachronism . Fez began to be used by the Ottoman Turks in the 19th century, and the "Turk" in the island's name dates back to very old times. The Lucayan people were

320-463: A historic house museum and education center. Glenn attended New Concord High School , where he played on the varsity football team as a center and linebacker . He also made the varsity basketball and tennis teams and was involved with Hi-Y, a junior branch of the YMCA . After graduating in 1939, Glenn entered Muskingum College (now Muskingum University), where he studied chemistry , joined

480-453: A pericarpel . Tissue derived from the petals and sepals continues the pericarpel, forming a composite tube—the whole may be called a floral tube, although strictly speaking only the part furthest from the base is floral in origin. The outside of the tubular structure often has areoles that produce wool and spines. Typically, the tube also has small scale-like bracts , which gradually change into sepal-like and then petal-like structures, so

640-481: A "hapless political rube", and one newspaper called him "the ultimate square". Metzenbaum lost the general election to Robert Taft Jr. Glenn remained active in the political scene following his defeat. Governor John J. Gilligan appointed Glenn to be the chairman of the Citizens Task Force on Environmental Protection in 1970. The task force was created to survey environmental problems in the state and released

800-481: A bunny dressed as an astronaut beating a drum, with an announcer saying, "He just keeps owing and owing and owing", a play on the Energizer Bunny . During a debate, Glenn asked DeWine to stop his negative campaign ads, saying "This has been the most negative campaign". DeWine responded that he would if Glenn would disclose how he spent the money he received from Charles Keating , fallout from Glenn being named one of

960-464: A cactus. Stem shapes vary considerably among cacti. The cylindrical shape of columnar cacti and the spherical shape of globular cacti produce a low surface area-to-volume ratio, thus reducing water loss, as well as minimizing the heating effects of sunlight. The ribbed or fluted stems of many cacti allow the stem to shrink during periods of drought and then swell as it fills with water during periods of availability. A mature saguaro ( Carnegiea gigantea )

1120-506: A clear sandy bottom would not have been possible had Columbus sailed from the islands of the Bahamas. In addition, the latitudes recorded in Columbus' diary place the landfall island at 90 nautical miles (100 mi; 170 km) from Hispaniola , too close for the Bahamas, but almost exactly the distance from Grand Turk. On the contrary, historian Gregory McIntosh has concluded that Grand Turk

1280-547: A cluster may share a common root. Other cacti have a quite different appearance. In tropical regions, some grow as forest climbers and epiphytes . Their stems are typically flattened and almost leaf-like in appearance, with few or even no spines. Climbing cacti can be very large; a specimen of Hylocereus was reported as 100 meters (330 ft) long from root to the most distant stem. Epiphytic cacti, such as species of Rhipsalis or Schlumbergera , often hang downwards, forming dense clumps where they grow in trees high above

1440-464: A continuous supply of CO 2 during photosynthesis means the stomata must be open, so water vapor is continuously being lost. Plants using the C 3 mechanism lose as much as 97% of the water taken up through their roots in this way. A further problem is that as temperatures rise, the enzyme that captures CO 2 starts to capture more and more oxygen instead, reducing the efficiency of photosynthesis by up to 25%. Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM)

1600-411: A drought. The concentration of salts in the root cells of cacti is relatively high. All these adaptations enable cacti to absorb water rapidly during periods of brief or light rainfall. Thus, Ferocactus cylindraceus reportedly can take up a significant amount of water within 12 hours from as little as 7 mm (0.3 in) of rainfall, becoming fully hydrated in a few days. Although in most cacti,

1760-423: A failure of the automatic-control system was detected. This forced Glenn to operate in manual mode for the second and third orbits, and for re-entry. Later in the flight, telemetry indicated that the heat shield had loosened. If this reading had been accurate, Glenn and his spacecraft would have burned up on re-entry. After a lengthy discussion on how to deal with this problem, ground controllers decided that leaving

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1920-546: A family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word cactus derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek word κάκτος ( káktos ), a name originally used by Theophrastus for a spiny plant whose identity is now not certain. Cacti occur in a wide range of shapes and sizes. They are native to the Americas, ranging from Patagonia in the south to parts of western Canada in

2080-415: A greater volume than the body. Taproots may aid in stabilizing the larger columnar cacti. Climbing, creeping and epiphytic cacti may have only adventitious roots , produced along the stems where these come into contact with a rooting medium. Like their spines, cactus flowers are variable. Typically, the ovary is surrounded by material derived from stem or receptacle tissue, forming a structure called

2240-697: A grueling series of physical and psychological tests began at the Lovelace Clinic and the Wright Aerospace Medical Laboratory . Because of his Bureau of Aeronautics job, Glenn was already participating in Project Mercury; while other candidates were at Wright, on March 17 he and most of those who would choose the astronauts visited the McDonnell plant building the spacecraft to inspect its progress and make changes. While Glenn had not scored

2400-415: A high surface area-to-volume ratio, at maturity they contain little or no water, being composed of fibers made up of dead cells. Spines provide protection from herbivores and camouflage in some species, and assist in water conservation in several ways. They trap air near the surface of the cactus, creating a moister layer that reduces evaporation and transpiration . They can provide some shade, which lowers

2560-495: A history-book figure into a likable, thoroughly adoration-worthy Hollywood hero," turning him into a big-screen icon. Others considered the movie to be damaging to Glenn's campaign, serving as only a reminder that Glenn's most significant achievement had occurred decades earlier. Glenn's autobiography said the film "had a chilling effect on the campaign." William White managed Glenn's campaign until his replacement by Jerry Vento on January 26, 1984. Glenn's campaign decided to forgo

2720-442: A kind of highly reduced branch. Areoles are an identifying feature of cacti. As well as spines, areoles give rise to flowers , which are usually tubular and multipetaled. Many cacti have short growing seasons and long dormancies and are able to react quickly to any rainfall, helped by an extensive but relatively shallow root system that quickly absorbs any water reaching the ground surface. Cactus stems are often ribbed or fluted with

2880-461: A massive reward for you in eternity" in several languages, in case he landed near southern Pacific Ocean islands. The original procedure called for Glenn to exit through the top hatch, but he was uncomfortably warm and decided that egress through the side hatch would be faster. During the flight, he endured up to 7.8 g of acceleration and traveled 75,679 miles (121,794 km) at about 17,500 miles per hour (28,200 km/h). The flight took Glenn to

3040-449: A maximum altitude (apogee) of about 162 miles (261 km) and a minimum altitude of 100 miles (160 km) (perigee). Unlike the crewed missions of Soviet Union 's Vostok programme , Glenn remained within the spacecraft during landing. The flight made Glenn the first American to orbit the Earth, the third American in space, and the fifth human in space. The mission, which Glenn called

3200-695: A military aircraft at Naval Air Station Olathe in Kansas , where he went for primary training. During advanced training at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi in Texas , he accepted an offer to transfer to the U.S. Marine Corps . Having completed his flight training in March 1943, Glenn was commissioned as a second lieutenant . Glenn married Annie in a Presbyterian ceremony at College Drive Church in New Concord on April 6, 1943. After advanced training at Camp Kearny , California, he

3360-485: A more centrist president would help unite the country. Glenn believed his experience as a senator from Ohio was ideal because of the state's diversity. Glenn thought that Ted Kennedy could win the election, but after Kennedy's announcement in late 1982 that he would not seek the presidency, Glenn thought he had a much better chance of winning. He hired a media consultant to help him with his speaking style. Glenn announced his candidacy for president on April 21, 1983, in

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3520-418: A normal shoot, nodes bearing leaves or flowers would be separated by lengths of stem (internodes). In an areole, the nodes are so close together, they form a single structure. The areole may be circular, elongated into an oval shape, or even separated into two parts; the two parts may be visibly connected in some way (e.g. by a groove in the stem) or appear entirely separate (a dimorphic areole). The part nearer

3680-487: A number of ribs which corresponds to a number in the Fibonacci numbers (2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34 etc.). This allows them to expand and contract easily for quick water absorption after rain, followed by retention over long drought periods. Like other succulent plants, most cacti employ a special mechanism called " crassulacean acid metabolism " (CAM) as part of photosynthesis. Transpiration , during which carbon dioxide enters

3840-466: A particular plant is an example of, say, Mammillaria mammillaris , they should be able to compare it with the type specimen to which this name is permanently attached. Type specimens are normally prepared by compression and drying, after which they are stored in herbaria to act as definitive references. However, cacti are very difficult to preserve in this way; they have evolved to resist drying and their bodies do not easily compress. A further difficulty

4000-495: A place on the board of directors. The company later expanded Glenn's role, promoting him to president of Royal Crown International. A Senate seat was open in 1968, and Glenn was asked about his current political aspirations. He said he had no current plan, and "Let's talk about it one of these days." Glenn also said that a 1970 Senate run was a possibility. In 1973, he and a friend bought a Holiday Inn near Disney World . The success of Disney World expanded to their business, and

4160-566: A proficiency exam, both required by the school for its Bachelor of Science degree. When the United States entered World War II, Glenn quit college to enlist in the U.S. Army Air Corps . He was not called to duty by the army and enlisted as a U.S. Navy aviation cadet in March 1942. Glenn attended the University of Iowa in Iowa City for pre-flight training and made his first solo flight in

4320-569: A recovery time of one year. Glenn did not want to win solely because of his astronaut fame, so he dropped out of the race on March 30. Glenn was still on leave from the Marine Corps, and he withdrew his papers to retire so he could keep a salary and health benefits. Glenn was on the list of potential candidates to be promoted to full colonel, but he notified the Commandant of the Marine Corps of his intention to retire so another Marine could receive

4480-496: A report in 1971 detailing the issues. The meetings and the final report of the task force were major contributors to the formation of Ohio's Environmental Protection Agency . In 1973, President Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliot Richardson to fire Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox . Richardson refused and resigned in protest, triggering the Saturday Night massacre . Ohio Senator William Saxbe , elected in 1968,

4640-593: A second one on July 19, and a third on July 22 when four Sabres shot down three MiGs. These were the final air victories of the war, which ended with an armistice five days later. For his service in Korea, Glenn received two more Distinguished Flying Crosses and eight more Air Medals. Glenn also received the Korean Service Medal (with two campaign stars), United Nations Korea Medal , Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal , National Defense Service Medal (with one star), and

4800-505: A service adviser to NASA's spacecraft mockup board. Envisioning himself in the vehicle, Glenn stated that the passenger would have to be able to control the spacecraft. McDonnell engineers told him of the importance of lightening the vehicle as much as possible, so Glenn began exercising to lose the 30 pounds (14 kg) by which he estimated he was overweight. Eisenhower directed NASA to recruit its first astronauts from military test pilots. Of 508 graduates of test pilot schools, 110 matched

4960-455: A significant funding advantage over Glenn. Glenn's camp persuaded him to be thrifty during the primary so he could save money for the general election. By the end of the primary campaign, Metzenbaum was spending four times as much as Glenn. Glenn was defeated in the Democratic primary by Metzenbaum (who received 51 percent of the vote to Glenn's 49 percent). Some prominent Democrats said Glenn was

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5120-620: A specimen, which, according to David Hunt , ensured he "left a trail of nomenclatural chaos that will probably vex cactus taxonomists for centuries." In 1984, it was decided that the Cactaceae Section of the International Organization for Succulent Plant Study should set up a working party, now called the International Cactaceae Systematics Group (ICSG), to produce consensus classifications down to

5280-629: A student at the Naval School of All-Weather Flight before becoming a flight instructor . In July 1951, he traveled to the Amphibious Warfare School at Marine Corps Base Quantico in northern Virginia for a six-month course. He then joined the staff of the commandant of the Marine Corps Schools. He maintained his proficiency (and flight pay) by flying on weekends, although he was only allowed four hours of flying time per month. He

5440-543: A time with Marine reservist Ted Williams (then in the midst of a Hall of Fame baseball career with the Boston Red Sox ) as his wingman . Williams later said about Glenn "Absolutely fearless. The best I ever saw. It was an honor to fly with him." Glenn also flew with future major general Ralph H. Spanjer . In June 1953, Glenn reported for duty with the USAF's 25th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron and flew 27 combat missions in

5600-433: Is a mechanism adopted by cacti and other succulents to avoid the problems of the C 3 mechanism. In full CAM, the stomata open only at night, when temperatures and water loss are lowest. CO 2 enters the plant and is captured in the form of organic acids stored inside cells (in vacuoles ). The stomata remain closed throughout the day, and photosynthesis uses only this stored CO 2 . CAM uses water much more efficiently at

5760-401: Is close to the ancestral species from which all cacti evolved) does have long-lasting leaves, which are, however, thickened and succulent in many species. Other species of cactus with long-lasting leaves, such as the opuntioid Pereskiopsis , also have succulent leaves. A key issue in retaining water is the ratio of surface area to volume. Water loss is proportional to surface area, whereas

5920-546: Is considered close to the ancestral species from which all cacti evolved. In tropical regions, other cacti grow as forest climbers and epiphytes (plants that grow on trees). Their stems are typically flattened, almost leaf-like in appearance, with fewer or even no spines, such as the well-known Christmas cactus or Thanksgiving cactus (in the genus Schlumbergera ). Cacti have a variety of uses: many species are used as ornamental plants, others are grown for fodder or forage, and others for food (particularly their fruit). Cochineal

6080-482: Is derived through Latin from the Ancient Greek κάκτος ( kaktos ), a name used by Theophrastus for a spiny plant, which may have been the cardoon ( Cynara cardunculus ). Later botanists, such as Philip Miller in 1754, divided cacti into several genera, which, in 1789, Antoine Laurent de Jussieu placed in his newly created family Cactaceae. By the early 20th century, botanists came to feel Linnaeus's name Cactus had become so confused as to its meaning (was it

6240-835: Is particularly true of tree-living cacti, such as Rhipsalis and Schlumbergera , but also of some ground-living cacti, such as Ariocarpus . The spines of cacti are often useful in identification, since they vary greatly between species in number, color, size, shape and hardness, as well as in whether all the spines produced by an areole are similar or whether they are of distinct kinds. Most spines are straight or at most slightly curved, and are described as hair-like, bristle-like, needle-like or awl-like, depending on their length and thickness. Some cacti have flattened spines (e.g. Sclerocactus papyracanthus ). Other cacti have hooked spines. Sometimes, one or more central spines are hooked, while outer spines are straight (e.g., Mammillaria rekoi ). In addition to normal-length spines, members of

6400-474: Is present in Pereskia species. By studying the ratio of C to C incorporated into a plant—its isotopic signature —it is possible to deduce how much CO 2 is taken up at night and how much in the daytime. Using this approach, most of the Pereskia species investigated exhibit some degree of CAM-cycling, suggesting this ability was present in the ancestor of all cacti. Pereskia leaves are claimed to only have

6560-557: Is said to be able to absorb as much as 200 U.S. gallons (760 L; 170 imp gal) of water during a rainstorm. A few species differ significantly in appearance from most of the family. At least superficially, plants of the genera Leuenbergeria , Rhodocactus and Pereskia resemble other trees and shrubs growing around them. They have persistent leaves, and when older, bark-covered stems. Their areoles identify them as cacti, and in spite of their appearance, they, too, have many adaptations for water conservation . Leuenbergeria

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6720-416: Is said to be able to absorb as much as 200 U.S. gallons (760 L; 170 imp gal) of water during a rainstorm. The outer layer of the stem usually has a tough cuticle , reinforced with waxy layers, which reduce water loss. These layers are responsible for the grayish or bluish tinge to the stem color of many cacti. The stems of most cacti have adaptations to allow them to conduct photosynthesis in

6880-461: Is that many cacti were given names by growers and horticulturalists rather than botanists; as a result, the provisions of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (which governs the names of cacti, as well as other plants) were often ignored. Curt Backeberg , in particular, is said to have named or renamed 1,200 species without one of his names ever being attached to

7040-721: Is the product of an insect that lives on some cacti. Many succulent plants in both the Old and New World – such as some Euphorbiaceae (euphorbias) – are also spiny stem succulents and because of this are sometimes incorrectly referred to as "cactus". The 1,500 to 1,800 species of cacti mostly fall into one of two groups of "core cacti": opuntias (subfamily Opuntioideae ) and "cactoids" (subfamily Cactoideae ). Most members of these two groups are easily recognizable as cacti. They have fleshy succulent stems that are major organs of photosynthesis . They have absent, small, or transient leaves . They have flowers with ovaries that lie below

7200-481: The 1964 United States Senate election in Ohio , challenging aging incumbent Stephen M. Young (1889–1984) in the Democratic primary election. As it seemed unlikely that he would be selected for Project Apollo missions, he resigned from NASA on January 16, 1964, and announced his Democratic Party candidacy for the U.S. Senate from his home state of Ohio the following day, becoming the first astronaut-politician . Glenn

7360-611: The Bahamas or Grand Cayman . Grand Turk Lighthouse was erected in 1852 near northern end of the island. The 60 ft (18 m) lighthouse was designed by Alexander Gordon and built by Chance Brothers in England. It was shipped in pieces and assembled on Grand Turk. Grand Turk has been put forward as the possible landfall island of Christopher Columbus during his first voyage to the New World in 1492. San Salvador Island or Samana Cay in

7520-402: The C 3 mechanism with CAM restricted to stems. More recent studies show that "it is highly unlikely that significant carbon assimilation occurs in the stem"; Pereskia species are described as having "C 3 with inducible CAM." Leafless cacti carry out all their photosynthesis in the stem, using full CAM. As of February 2012 , it is not clear whether stem-based CAM evolved once only in

7680-591: The Chinese Civil War , and the Korean War . He shot down three MiG-15s and was awarded six Distinguished Flying Crosses and eighteen Air Medals . In 1957, he made the first supersonic transcontinental flight across the United States. His on-board camera took the first continuous, panoramic photograph of the United States. Glenn was one of the Mercury Seven military test pilots selected in 1959 by NASA as

7840-653: The Democratic Party , Glenn was first elected to the Senate in 1974 and served for 24 years until January 1999. In 1998, at age 77, Glenn flew on Space Shuttle Discovery 's STS-95 mission, making him the oldest person to enter Earth orbit, the only person to fly in both the Mercury and the Space Shuttle programs , and the first Member of Congress to visit space since Congressman Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) in 1986. Glenn, both

8000-683: The FJ-3 Fury , nearly killed him when its cockpit depressurized and its oxygen system failed. He also tested the armament of aircraft such as the Vought F7U Cutlass and F8U Crusader . From November 1956 to April 1959, he was assigned to the Fighter Design Branch of the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics in Washington, D.C., and attended the University of Maryland . On July 16, 1957, Glenn made

8160-755: The Foreign Relations Committee . He was immediately assigned to the Government Operations Committee and waited for a seat on the Foreign Relations Committee. In 1977, Glenn wanted to chair the Energy, Nuclear Proliferation, and Federal Services Subcommittee of the Governmental Affairs Committee. Abraham Ribicoff , chair of the Governmental Affairs Committee, said he could chair the subcommittee if he also chaired

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8320-682: The Friendship 7 is on display in Grand Turk at the entrance to the Grand Turk airport. In 1966 at least five Arcas (All-Purpose Rocket for Collecting Atmospheric Soundings) sounding rockets were launched from Grand Turk by the USA. Cactus See also Classification of the Cactaceae A cactus ( pl. : cacti , cactuses , or less commonly, cactus ) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae ( / k æ k ˈ t eɪ s i . iː , - ˌ aɪ / ),

8480-573: The John Glenn High School gymnasium. He started out the campaign out-raising the front-runner, Mondale. He also polled the highest of any Democrat against Reagan. During the fall of 1983, The Right Stuff , a film about the Mercury Seven astronauts, was released. Reviewers saw Ed Harris ' portrayal of Glenn as heroic and his staff began to publicize the film to the press. One reviewer said that "Harris' depiction helped transform Glenn from

8640-614: The Keating Five . Glenn won the Senate seat, with 2.4 million votes to DeWine's 2 million votes. It was DeWine's first-ever campaign loss. DeWine later worked on the intelligence committee with Glenn and watched his second launch into space. Glenn requested to be assigned to two committees during his first year as senator: the Government Operations Committee (later known as the Committee on Governmental Affairs), and

8800-638: The Korean War Service Medal . With combat experience as a fighter pilot, Glenn applied for training as a test pilot while still in Korea. He reported to the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at NAS Patuxent River in Maryland in January 1954 and graduated in July. At Patuxent River, future Medal of Honor recipient James Stockdale tutored him in physics and math. Glenn's first flight test assignment, testing

8960-606: The Medal of Honor , but Glenn did not think that would be appropriate. His military and space awards were stolen from his home in 1978, and he remarked that he would keep this medal in a safe. In 1962, NASA contemplated recruiting women to the astronaut corps via the Mercury 13 , but Glenn gave a speech before the House Space Committee detailing his opposition to sending women into space, in which he said: I think this gets back to

9120-527: The Western Front during World War I . The family moved to New Concord, Ohio , soon after his birth, and his father started his own business, the Glenn Plumbing Company. Glenn Jr. was only a toddler when he met Anna Margaret (Annie) Castor , whom he would later marry. The two would not be able to recall a time when they did not know each other. He first flew in an airplane with his father when he

9280-443: The monophyly of three of these subfamilies (not Pereskioideae), but have not supported all of the tribes or even genera below this level; indeed, a 2011 study found only 39% of the genera in the subfamily Cactoideae sampled in the research were monophyletic . Classification of the cacti currently remains uncertain and is likely to change. A 2005 study suggested the genus Pereskia as then circumscribed ( Pereskia sensu lato)

9440-441: The sepals and petals , often deeply sunken into a fleshy receptacle (the part of the stem from which the flower parts grow). All cacti have areoles —highly specialized short shoots with extremely short internodes that produce spines , normal shoots, and flowers. The remaining cacti fall into only two groups: three tree-like genera, Leuenbergeria , Pereskia and Rhodocactus (all formerly placed in Pereskia ), and

9600-624: The "best day of his life", renewed U.S. confidence. His flight occurred while the U.S. and the Soviet Union were embroiled in the Cold War and competing in the Space Race. As the first American in orbit, Glenn became a national hero, met President John F. Kennedy , and received a ticker-tape parade in New York reminiscent of those honoring Charles Lindbergh and other heroes. He became "so valuable to

9760-484: The "columns" may be horizontal rather than vertical. Thus, Stenocereus eruca can be described as columnar even though it has stems growing along the ground, rooting at intervals. Cacti whose stems are even smaller may be described as globular (or globose). They consist of shorter, more ball-shaped stems than columnar cacti. Globular cacti may be solitary, such as Ferocactus latispinus , or their stems may form clusters that can create large mounds. All or some stems in

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9920-404: The Bahamas is traditionally identified with Guanahani , the site of Columbus' first landfall , but some believe that studies of Columbus' journals show that his descriptions of Guanahani much more closely fit Grand Turk than they do other candidates. Magnetic variations that caused misreadings in Columbus' compasses demonstrate that several of the recorded moorings using a rope-secured anchor to

10080-700: The F-86, a much faster aircraft than the F9F Panther, patrolling MiG Alley . Combat with a MiG-15 , which was faster and better armed still, was regarded as a rite of passage for a fighter pilot. On the Air Force buses that ferried the pilots out to the airfields before dawn, pilots who had engaged a MiG could sit while those who had not had to stand. Glenn later wrote, "Since the days of the Lafayette Escadrille during World War I, pilots have viewed air-to-air combat as

10240-464: The Ohio Democratic Party chairman did not think it was likely they would see the same success in Ohio. LaRouche was known for his fringe theories, such as the queen of England being a drug dealer. Kindness spoke to his supporters and warned them against LaRouche candidates. He issued a statement telling voters to reject LaRouche candidates in both Republican and Democratic primaries. Glenn won

10400-588: The Soviet Union launched pilot-cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya . During the late 1970s, Glenn reportedly supported Space Shuttle Mission Specialist Judith Resnik in her career. At 42, Glenn was the oldest member of the astronaut corps and would likely be close to 50 by the time the lunar landings took place. During Glenn's training, NASA psychologists determined that he was the astronaut best suited for public life. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy suggested to Glenn and his wife in December 1962 that he run for

10560-529: The Stag Club fraternity, and played on the football team. Annie majored in music with minors in secretarial studies and physical education and competed on the swimming and volleyball teams, graduating in 1942. Glenn earned a private pilot license and a physics course credit for free through the Civilian Pilot Training Program in 1941. He did not complete his senior year in residence or take

10720-403: The absence of leaves. This is discussed further below under Metabolism . Many cacti have roots that spread out widely, but only penetrate a short distance into the soil. In one case, a young saguaro only 12 cm (4.7 in) tall had a root system with a diameter of 2 m (7 ft), but no more than 10 cm (4 in) deep. Cacti can also form new roots quickly when rain falls after

10880-570: The age of 36, he was now likely too old to continue to fly. On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1 , the first artificial satellite . This damaged American confidence in its technological superiority, creating a wave of anxiety known as the Sputnik crisis . In response, President Dwight D. Eisenhower launched the Space Race . The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

11040-413: The amount of water present is proportional to volume. Structures with a high surface area-to-volume ratio, such as thin leaves, necessarily lose water at a higher rate than structures with a low area-to-volume ratio, such as thickened stems. Spines , which are modified leaves, are present on even those cacti with true leaves, showing the evolution of spines preceded the loss of leaves. Although spines have

11200-600: The core cacti, or separately in the opuntias and cactoids; CAM is known to have evolved convergently many times. To carry out photosynthesis, cactus stems have undergone many adaptations. Early in their evolutionary history, the ancestors of modern cacti (other than Leuenbergeria species) developed stomata on their stems and began to delay developing bark. However, this alone was not sufficient; cacti with only these adaptations appear to do very little photosynthesis in their stems. Stems needed to develop structures similar to those normally found only in leaves. Immediately below

11360-417: The delegates. Walter Cronkite described it as "dull", and other delegates complained that he was hard to hear. Carter called Glenn to inform him the nomination was going to another candidate and later nominated the veteran politician Walter Mondale . It was also reported that Carter's wife thought Annie Glenn, who had a stutter, would hurt the campaign. In his first reelection campaign, Glenn ran opposed in

11520-669: The end into more than one stigma . The stamens usually arise from all over the inner surface of the upper part of the floral tube, although in some cacti, the stamens are produced in one or more distinct "series" in more specific areas of the inside of the floral tube. The flower as a whole is usually radially symmetrical ( actinomorphic ), but may be bilaterally symmetrical ( zygomorphic ) in some species. Flower colors range from white through yellow and red to magenta. All cacti have some adaptations to promote efficient water use. Most cacti— opuntias and cactoids —specialize in surviving in hot and dry environments (i.e. are xerophytes ), but

11680-508: The end of his one-year tour of duty in February 1945, Glenn was assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina , then to Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland. He was promoted to captain in July 1945 and ordered back to Cherry Point. There, he joined VMF-913, another Corsair squadron, and learned that he had qualified for a regular commission. In March 1946, he

11840-490: The ends of stems, which are still growing and forming new areoles. In Pereskia , a genus close to the ancestor of cacti, areoles remain active for much longer; this is also the case in Opuntia and Neoraimondia . The great majority of cacti have no visible leaves ; photosynthesis takes place in the stems (which may be flattened and leaflike in some species). Exceptions occur in three (taxonomically, four) groups of cacti. All

12000-489: The eye and tell her that her son did not hold a job". He defeated Metzenbaum 54 to 46 percent before defeating Ralph Perk (the Republican mayor of Cleveland ) in the general election, beginning a Senate career which would continue until 1999. After Jimmy Carter became the presumptive Democratic nominee for president in the 1976 election , Glenn was reported to be in consideration to be Carter's running mate because he

12160-484: The first supersonic transcontinental flight. Disliking his Bureau of Aeronautics desk job, he devised the flight as both a way to keep flying and publicly demonstrate the F8U Crusader. At that time, the transcontinental speed record, held by an Air Force Republic F-84 Thunderjet , was 3 hours 45 minutes and Glenn calculated that the F8U Crusader could do it faster. Because its 586-mile-per-hour (943 km/h) air speed

12320-404: The first ancestors of modern cacti were already adapted to periods of intermittent drought. A small number of cactus species in the tribes Hylocereeae and Rhipsalideae have become adapted to life as climbers or epiphytes , often in tropical forests, where water conservation is less important. The absence of visible leaves is one of the most striking features of most cacti. Pereskia (which

12480-536: The first continuous, transcontinental panoramic photograph of the United States. He received his fifth Distinguished Flying Cross for this mission, and was promoted to lieutenant colonel on April 1, 1959. The cross-country flight made Glenn a minor celebrity. A profile appeared in The New York Times, and he appeared on the television show Name That Tune . Glenn now had nearly 9,000 hours of flying time, including about 3,000 hours in jets, but knew that at

12640-404: The first down range tracking facility of the U.S. Air Force's Eastern Range to have a Missile Impact Location System (MILS) target array to detect the splash down location of test missile nose cones. The next target arrays down range were located at 1,300 nmi (1,500 mi; 2,400 km) at Antigua and at 4,400 nmi (5,100 mi; 8,100 km) at Ascension Island . In addition to

12800-570: The genera Leuenbergeria , Pereskia and Rhodocactus , the branches are covered with leaves, so the species of these genera may not be recognized as cacti. In most other cacti, the branches are more typically cactus-like, bare of leaves and bark and covered with spines, as in Pachycereus pringlei or the larger opuntias . Some cacti may become tree-sized but without branches, such as larger specimens of Echinocactus platyacanthus . Cacti may also be described as shrubby , with several stems coming from

12960-874: The genus Mammillaria and outgrowths almost like leaves in Ariocarpus species. The stem may also be ribbed or fluted in shape. The prominence of these ribs depends on how much water the stem is storing: when full (up to 90% of the mass of a cactus may be water), the ribs may be almost invisible on the swollen stem, whereas when the cactus is short of water and the stems shrink, the ribs may be very visible. The stems of most cacti are some shade of green, often bluish or brownish green. Such stems contain chlorophyll and are able to carry out photosynthesis; they also have stomata (small structures that can open and close to allow passage of gases). Cactus stems are often visibly waxy. Areoles are structures unique to cacti. Although variable, they typically appear as woolly or hairy areas on

13120-529: The genus or the family?) that it should not be used as a genus name. The 1905 Vienna botanical congress rejected the name Cactus and instead declared Mammillaria was the type genus of the family Cactaceae. It did, however, conserve the name Cactaceae, leading to the unusual situation in which the family Cactaceae no longer contains the genus after which it was named. The difficulties continued, partly because giving plants scientific names relies on " type specimens ". Ultimately, if botanists want to know whether

13280-558: The ground or from branches very low down, such as in Stenocereus thurberi . Smaller cacti may be described as columnar. They consist of erect, cylinder-shaped stems, which may or may not branch, without a very clear division into trunk and branches. The boundary between columnar forms and tree-like or shrubby forms is difficult to define. Smaller and younger specimens of Cephalocereus senilis , for example, are columnar, whereas older and larger specimens may become tree-like. In some cases,

13440-501: The ground. The leafless, spiny stem is the characteristic feature of the majority of cacti (all belonging to the largest subfamily, the Cactoideae ). The stem is typically succulent, meaning it is adapted to store water. The surface of the stem may be smooth (as in some species of Opuntia ) or covered with protuberances of various kinds, which are usually called tubercles. These vary from small "bumps" to prominent, nipple-like shapes in

13600-441: The growing season and then lost (as in many species of Opuntia ). The small genus Maihuenia also relies on leaves for photosynthesis. The structure of the leaves varies somewhat between these groups. Opuntioids and Maihuenia have leaves that appear to consist only of a midrib. Even those cacti without visible photosynthetic leaves do usually have very small leaves, less than 0.5 mm (0.02 in) long in about half of

13760-434: The highest on all the tests, a member of the selection committee recalled how he had impressed everyone with his "strength of personality and his dedication". On April 6 Donlan called Glenn to offer him a position at Project Mercury, one of seven candidates chosen as astronauts. Glenn was pleased while Annie was supportive but wary of the danger; during his three years at Patuxent, 12 test pilots had died. The identities of

13920-401: The highest possible volume for water storage with the lowest possible surface area for water loss from transpiration . The tallest free-standing cactus is Pachycereus pringlei , with a maximum recorded height of 19.2 m (63 ft), and the smallest is Blossfeldia liliputiana , only about 1 cm (0.4 in) in diameter at maturity. A fully grown saguaro ( Carnegiea gigantea )

14080-485: The indigenous people of the island, who called it Abawana, meaning "the First Small Land" . The Spanish later called it Amuana. Grand Turk was first colonised in 1681 by Bermudians, who set up the salt industry in the islands. In 1766 it became the capital of the country. For some time, at least until the early 19th century, Grand Turk was often referred to as Grand Cay, not to be confused with either Grand Cay in

14240-551: The less popular Federal Services Subcommittee, which was in charge of the U.S. Postal Service . Previous chairs of the Federal Services Subcommittee had lost elections in part because of negative campaigns associated with the poorly regarded mail service to the chairmen, but Glenn accepted the offer and became the chair of both subcommittees. One of his goals as a new senator was developing environmental policies. Glenn introduced bills on energy policy to try to counter

14400-483: The level of genera. Their system has been used as the basis of subsequent classifications. Detailed treatments published in the 21st century have divided the family into around 125–130 genera and 1,400–1,500 species, which are then arranged into a number of tribes and subfamilies. The ICSG classification of the cactus family recognized four subfamilies, the largest of which was divided into nine tribes. The subfamilies were: Molecular phylogenetic studies have supported

14560-401: The likely Republican candidate, in the general election was much less clear. In late February he was hospitalized for a concussion sustained in a fall against a bathtub while attempting to fix a mirror in a hotel room; an inner-ear injury from the accident left him unable to campaign. Both his wife and Scott Carpenter campaigned on his behalf during February and March, but doctors gave Glenn

14720-487: The lone Marine." The magnitude of the challenge ahead of them was made clear a few weeks later, on the night of May 18, 1959, when the seven astronauts gathered at Cape Canaveral to watch their first rocket launch, of an SM-65D Atlas , which was similar to the one that was to carry them into orbit. A few minutes after liftoff, it exploded spectacularly, lighting up the night sky. The astronauts were stunned. Shepard turned to Glenn and said: "Well, I'm glad they got that out of

14880-411: The minimum standards. Marine Corps pilots were mistakenly omitted at first; two were quickly found, including Glenn. The candidates had to be younger than 40, possess a bachelor's degree or equivalent, and be 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) or less. Only the height requirement was strictly enforced, owing to the size of the Project Mercury spacecraft. This was fortunate for Glenn, who barely met

15040-455: The much smaller Maihuenia . These two groups are rather different from other cacti, which means any description of cacti as a whole must frequently make exceptions for them. Species of the first three genera superficially resemble other tropical forest trees. When mature, they have woody stems that may be covered with bark and long-lasting leaves that provide the main means of photosynthesis. Their flowers may have superior ovaries (i.e., above

15200-620: The nation as an iconic figure", according to NASA administrator Charles Bolden , that Kennedy would not "risk putting him back in space again." Glenn's fame and political potential were noted by the Kennedys, and he became a friend of the Kennedy family . On February 23, 1962, President Kennedy gave him the NASA Distinguished Service Medal for his Friendship 7 flight. Upon receiving the award, Glenn said, "I would like to consider I

15360-668: The nation's first astronauts. On February 20, 1962, Glenn flew the Friendship 7 mission, becoming the first American to orbit the Earth. He was the third American, and the fifth person, to be in space. He received the NASA Distinguished Service Medal in 1962, the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1978, was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1990, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. Glenn resigned from NASA in January 1964. A member of

15520-537: The north, with the exception of Rhipsalis baccifera , which is also found in Africa and Sri Lanka . Cacti are adapted to live in very dry environments, including the Atacama Desert , one of the driest places on Earth. Because of this, cacti show many adaptations to conserve water. For example, almost all cacti are succulents , meaning they have thickened, fleshy parts adapted to store water. Unlike many other succulents,

15680-557: The oldest and the last surviving member of the Mercury Seven, died at the age of 95 on December 8, 2016. John Herschel Glenn Jr. was born on July 18, 1921, in Cambridge, Ohio, the son of John Herschel Glenn Sr. (1895–1966), who worked for a plumbing firm, and Clara Teresa Glenn ( née  Sproat ; 1897–1971), a teacher. His parents had married shortly before John Sr., a member of the American Expeditionary Force , left for

15840-508: The other astronauts. Glenn was the backup pilot for Shepard and Grissom on the first two crewed Project Mercury flights, the sub-orbital missions Mercury-Redstone 3 and Mercury-Redstone 4 . Glenn was selected for Mercury-Atlas 6, NASA's first crewed orbital flight, with Carpenter as his backup. Putting a man in orbit would achieve one of Project Mercury's most important goals. Shepard and Grissom had named their spacecraft Freedom 7 and Liberty Bell 7 . The numeral 7 had originally been

16000-421: The outer epidermis, a hypodermal layer developed made up of cells with thickened walls, offering mechanical support. Air spaces were needed between the cells to allow carbon dioxide to diffuse inwards. The center of the stem, the cortex, developed " chlorenchyma " – a plant tissue made up of relatively unspecialized cells containing chloroplasts , arranged into a "spongy layer" and a " palisade layer " where most of

16160-512: The pair built three more hotels. One of Glenn's business partners was Henri Landwirth , a Holocaust survivor who became his best friend. He remembered learning about Landwirth's background: "Henri doesn't talk about it much. It was years before he spoke about it with me and then only because of an accident. We were down in Florida during the space program. Everyone was wearing short-sleeved Ban-Lon shirts—everyone but Henri. Then one day I saw Henri at

16320-449: The photosynthesis occurs. Naming and classifying cacti has been both difficult and controversial since the first cacti were discovered for science. The difficulties began with Carl Linnaeus . In 1737, he placed the cacti he knew into two genera, Cactus and Pereskia . However, when he published Species Plantarum in 1753—the starting point for modern botanical nomenclature—he relegated them all to one genus, Cactus . The word "cactus"

16480-442: The plant and water escapes, does not take place during the day at the same time as photosynthesis, but instead occurs at night. The plant stores the carbon dioxide it takes in as malic acid , retaining it until daylight returns, and only then using it in photosynthesis. Because transpiration takes place during the cooler, more humid night hours, water loss is significantly reduced. Many smaller cacti have globe-shaped stems, combining

16640-453: The points of attachment of the sepals and petals) and areoles that produce further leaves. The two species of Maihuenia have succulent but non-photosynthetic stems and prominent succulent leaves. Cacti show a wide variety of growth habits , which are difficult to divide into clear, simple categories. Cacti can be tree-like (arborescent), meaning they typically have a single more-or-less woody trunk topped by several to many branches . In

16800-558: The pool and noticed the number on his arm . I told Henri that if it were me I'd wear that number like a medal with a spotlight on it." Glenn remained close to the Kennedy family, and campaigned for Robert F. Kennedy during his 1968 presidential campaign . In 1968, Glenn was in Kennedy's hotel suite when Kennedy heard he had won California. Glenn was supposed to go with him to celebrate but decided not to as there would be many people there. Kennedy went downstairs to make his victory speech and

16960-565: The position was granted, and he spent several days at Langley and a week in Johnsville for the testing. As one of the very few pilots to have done such testing, Glenn had become an expert on the subject. NASA asked military-service members to participate in planning the mockup of a spacecraft. Having participated in the research at Langley and Johnsville, he was sent to the McDonnell plant in St. Louis as

17120-460: The precise target array the facility was the terminus of one of the Broad Ocean Area (BOA) MILS that could give good location data over large ocean areas. From 1957 to 1959 USN Mobile Construction Battalion 7 constructed a LORAN Station on the island. In 1962, John Glenn 's Friendship 7 Mercury spacecraft landed in the vicinity of Grand Turk off the southeast shoreline. A replica of

17280-453: The price of limiting the amount of carbon fixed from the atmosphere and thus available for growth. CAM-cycling is a less water-efficient system whereby stomata open in the day, just as in plants using the C 3 mechanism. At night, or when the plant is short of water, the stomata close and the CAM mechanism is used to store CO 2 produced by respiration for use later in photosynthesis. CAM-cycling

17440-455: The primary contest with 88% of the vote. With the primary complete, Glenn began his campaign against Kindness. Glenn believed he and other Democrats were the targets of a negative campaign thought up by the GOP strategists in Washington. Kindness focused on Glenn's campaign debts for his failed presidential run and the fact he stopped payments on it while campaigning for the Senate seat. After winning

17600-424: The primary for the 1980 Senate election. His opponents, engineer Francis Hunstiger and ex-teacher Frances Waterman, were not well-known and poorly funded. His opponents spent only a few thousand dollars on the campaign, while Glenn spent $ 700,000. Reporters noted that for a race he was likely to win, Glenn was spending a lot of time and money on the campaign. His chief strategist responded to the remarks saying, "It's

17760-430: The primary, Metzenbaum contrasted his strong business background with Glenn's military and astronaut credentials and said that his opponent had "never held a payroll". Glenn's reply became known as the " Gold Star Mothers " speech. He told Metzenbaum to go to a veterans' hospital and "look those men with mangled bodies in the eyes and tell them they didn't hold a job. You go with me to any Gold Star mother and you look her in

17920-405: The production number of Shepard's spacecraft, but had come to represent the Mercury 7. Glenn named his spacecraft, number 13, Friendship 7 , and had the name hand-painted on the side like the one on his F-86 had been. Glenn and Carpenter completed their training for the mission in January 1962, but postponement of the launch allowed them to continue rehearsing. Glenn spent 25 hours and 25 minutes in

18080-458: The promotion. President Johnson later decided to promote Glenn to full colonel status without taking someone else's slot. He retired as a colonel on January 1, 1965. Glenn was approached by RC Cola to join their public relations department, but Glenn declined it because he wanted to be involved with a business and not just the face of it. The company revised their offer and offered Glenn a vice president of corporate development position, as well as

18240-553: The race on March 16, 1984. After Mondale defeated him for the nomination, Glenn carried $ 3 million in campaign debt for over 20 years before receiving a reprieve from the Federal Election Commission . Glenn's Senate seat was challenged by Thomas Kindness . Kindness was unopposed in his primary, while Glenn faced Lyndon LaRouche supporter Don Scott. LaRouche supporters had been recently elected in Illinois, but

18400-442: The race with 62% of the vote, Glenn remarked, "We proved that in 1986, they couldn't kill Glenn with Kindness." In 1992, Republican Mike DeWine won the Republican primary and challenged Glenn in the Senate election. Glenn ran unopposed in the primary. DeWine's campaign focused on the need for change and for term limits for senators. This would be Glenn's fourth term as senator. DeWine also criticized Glenn's campaign debts, using

18560-409: The requirement that astronauts had to be test pilots effectively excluded them. NASA dropped this requirement in 1965, but did not select any women as astronauts until 1978, when six women were selected, none as pilots. In June 1963, the Soviet Union launched a female cosmonaut, Valentina Tereshkova , into orbit. After Tereshkova, no women of any nationality flew in space again until August 1982, when

18720-449: The requirements, as he was near the age cutoff and lacked a science-based degree, but had taken more classes since leaving college than needed for graduation. Glenn was otherwise so outstanding a candidate that Colonel Jake Dill, his commanding officer at test pilot school, visited NASA headquarters to insist that Glenn would be the perfect astronaut. For an interview with Charles Donlan, associate director of Project Mercury, Glenn brought

18880-405: The results from the centrifuge to show that he had done well on a test that perhaps no other candidate had taken. Donlan also noticed that Glenn stayed late at night to study schematics of the Mercury spacecraft. He was among the 32 of the first 69 candidates that passed the first step of the evaluation and were interested in continuing, sufficient for the astronaut corps NASA wanted. On February 27

19040-438: The retrorocket pack in place might help keep the loose heat shield in place. They relayed these instructions to Glenn, but did not tell him the heat shield was possibly loose; although confused at this order, he complied. The retrorocket pack broke up into large chunks of flaming debris that flew past the window of his capsule during re-entry; Glenn thought this might have been the heat shield. He told an interviewer, "Fortunately it

19200-431: The sepals and petals cannot be clearly differentiated (and hence are often called " tepals "). Some cacti produce floral tubes without wool or spines (e.g. Gymnocalycium ) or completely devoid of any external structures (e.g. Mammillaria ). Unlike the flowers of most other cacti, Pereskia flowers may be borne in clusters. Cactus flowers usually have many stamens , but only a single style , which may branch at

19360-423: The seven were announced at a press conference at Dolley Madison House in Washington, D.C., on April 9, 1959: Scott Carpenter , Gordon Cooper , Glenn, Gus Grissom , Wally Schirra , Alan Shepard , and Deke Slayton . In The Right Stuff , Tom Wolfe wrote that Glenn "came out of it as tops among seven very fair-haired boys. He had the hottest record as a pilot, he was the most quotable, the most photogenic, and

19520-436: The spacecraft performing hangar and altitude tests, and 59 hours and 45 minutes in the simulator. He flew 70 simulated missions and reacted to 189 simulated system failures. After a long series of delays, Friendship 7 lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on February 20, 1962. During the countdown, there were eleven delays due to equipment malfunctions and improvements and the weather. During Glenn's first orbit,

19680-416: The spaceflight program: to provide pilot input in design. The astronauts divided the various tasks between them. Glenn's specialization was cockpit layout design and control functioning for the Mercury and early Apollo programs . He pressed the other astronauts to set a moral example, living up to the squeaky-clean image of them that had been portrayed by Life magazine , a position that was not popular with

19840-481: The species of Leuenbergeria , Pereskia and Rhodocactus are superficially like normal trees or shrubs and have numerous leaves with a midrib and a flattened blade (lamina) on either side. This group is paraphyletic , forming two taxonomic clades . Many cacti in the opuntia group (subfamily Opuntioideae ) also have visible leaves, which may be long-lasting (as in Pereskiopsis species) or produced only during

20000-666: The species studied and almost always less than 1.5 mm (0.06 in) long. The function of such leaves cannot be photosynthesis; a role in the production of plant hormones, such as auxin , and in defining axillary buds has been suggested. Botanically, " spines " are distinguished from "thorns": spines are modified leaves, and thorns are modified branches. Cacti produce spines, always from areoles as noted above. Spines are present even in those cacti with leaves, such as Pereskia , Pereskiopsis and Maihuenia , so they clearly evolved before complete leaflessness. Some cacti only have spines when young, possibly only when seedlings. This

20160-513: The stem acts as the main organ for storing water, some cacti have in addition large taproots . These may be several times the length of the above-ground body in the case of species such as Copiapoa atacamensis , which grows in one of the driest places in the world, the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. Photosynthesis requires plants to take in carbon dioxide gas (CO 2 ). As they do so, they lose water through transpiration . Like other types of succulents , cacti reduce this water loss by

20320-481: The stem is the only part of most cacti where this vital process takes place. Most species of cacti have lost true leaves, retaining only spines , which are highly modified leaves. As well as defending against herbivores , spines help prevent water loss by reducing air flow close to the cactus and providing some shade. In the absence of true leaves, cacti's enlarged stems carry out photosynthesis . Cactus spines are produced from specialized structures called areoles ,

20480-433: The stems from which spines emerge. Flowers are also produced from areoles. In the genus Leuenbergeria , believed similar to the ancestor of all cacti, the areoles occur in the axils of leaves (i.e. in the angle between the leaf stalk and the stem). In leafless cacti, areoles are often borne on raised areas on the stem where leaf bases would have been. Areoles are highly specialized and very condensed shoots or branches. In

20640-493: The subfamily Opuntioideae have relatively short spines, called glochids , that are barbed along their length and easily shed. These enter the skin and are difficult to remove due to being very fine and easily broken, causing long-lasting irritation. Most ground-living cacti have only fine roots , which spread out around the base of the plant for varying distances, close to the surface. Some cacti have taproots ; in genera such as Ariocarpus , these are considerably larger and of

20800-410: The temperature of the surface of the cactus, also reducing water loss. When sufficiently moist air is present, such as during fog or early morning mist, spines can condense moisture, which then drips onto the ground and is absorbed by the roots. The majority of cacti are stem succulents , i.e., plants in which the stem is the main organ used to store water. Water may form up to 90% of the total mass of

20960-422: The top of the stem then produces flowers, the other part spines. Areoles often have multicellular hairs ( trichomes ) that give the areole a hairy or woolly appearance, sometimes of a distinct color such as yellow or brown. In most cacti, the areoles produce new spines or flowers only for a few years and then become inactive. This results in a relatively fixed number of spines, with flowers being produced only from

21120-536: The traditional campaigning in early caucuses and primaries and focus on building campaign offices nationwide. He opened offices in 43 states by January 1984. Glenn's campaign spent a significant amount of money on television advertising in Iowa, and Glenn chose not to attend an Iowan debate on farm issues. He finished fifth in the Iowa caucus and went on to lose New Hampshire. Glenn's campaign continued into Super Tuesday , and he lost there as well. He announced his withdrawal from

21280-402: The ultimate test not only of their machines but of their own personal determination and flying skills. I was no exception." He hoped to become the second Marine jet flying ace after John F. Bolt . Glenn's USAF squadron mates painted "MiG Mad Marine" on his aircraft when he complained about there not being any MiGs to shoot at. He shot down his first MiG in a dogfight on July 12, 1953, downed

21440-487: The way he does things. He takes nothing for granted." Glenn won the primary by a landslide, with 934,230 of the 1.09 million votes. Jim Betts , who ran unopposed in the Republican primary, challenged Glenn for his seat. Betts publicly stated that Glenn's policies were part of the reason for inflation increases and a lower standard of living. Betts' campaign also attacked Glenn's voting record, saying that he often voted for spending increases. Glenn's campaign's response

21600-460: The way in which they carry out photosynthesis. "Normal" leafy plants use the C 3 mechanism : during daylight hours, CO 2 is continually drawn out of the air present in spaces inside leaves and converted first into a compound containing three carbon atoms ( 3-phosphoglycerate ) and then into products such as carbohydrates . The access of air to internal spaces within a plant is controlled by stomata , which are able to open and close. The need for

21760-513: The way our social order is organized, really. It is just a fact. The men go off and fight the wars and fly the airplanes and come back and help design and build and test them. The fact that women are not in this field is a fact of our social order. In May 1965, after he left NASA, Glenn was quoted in the Miami Herald as saying NASA "offer a serious chance for space women" as scientist astronauts. NASA had no official policy prohibiting women, but

21920-706: The way." Glenn remained an officer in the Marine Corps after his selection, and was assigned to the NASA Space Task Group at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia . The task force moved to Houston , Texas, in 1962, and became part of the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center . A portion of the astronauts' training was in the classroom, where they learned space science. The group also received hands-on training, which included scuba diving and work in simulators. Astronauts secured an additional role in

22080-496: Was basal within the Cactaceae, but confirmed earlier suggestions it was not monophyletic , i.e., did not include all the descendants of a common ancestor. The Bayesian consensus cladogram from this study is shown below with subsequent generic changes added. Pereskia s.l. Clade A → Leuenbergeria Pereskia s.l. Clade B → Rhodocactus + Pereskia s.s. Opuntioideae Maihuenia John Glenn John Herschel Glenn Jr. (July 18, 1921 – December 8, 2016)

22240-403: Was a figurehead for this whole big, tremendous effort, and I am very proud of the medal I have on my lapel." Glenn also received his sixth Distinguished Flying Cross for his efforts. He was among the first group of astronauts to be awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. The award was presented to him by President Jimmy Carter in 1978. After his 1962 spaceflight, NASA proposed giving Glenn

22400-555: Was a senator in a pivotal state and for his fame and straightforwardness. Some thought he was too much like Carter, partially because they both had military backgrounds, and he did not have enough experience to become president. Barbara Jordan was the first keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention. Her speech electrified the crowd and was filled with applause and standing ovations. Glenn's keynote address immediately followed Jordan's, and he failed to impress

22560-482: Was an American Marine Corps aviator , astronaut , businessman, and politician. He was the third American in space and the first American to orbit the Earth, circling it three times in 1962. Following his retirement from NASA , he served from 1974 to 1999 as a U.S. Senator from Ohio ; in 1998, he flew into space again at the age of 77. Before joining NASA, Glenn was a distinguished fighter pilot in World War II ,

22720-433: Was appointed attorney general. Both Glenn and Metzenbaum sought the vacated seat, which was to be filled by Governor John Gilligan. Gilligan was planning on a presidential or vice-presidential run in the near future, and offered Glenn the lieutenant governor position, with the thought that Glenn would ascend to governor when Gilligan was elected to a higher position. The Ohio Democratic party backed this solution to avoid what

22880-586: Was asked to send a test pilot to Langley Air Force Base in Virginia to make runs on a spaceflight simulator, as part of research by the newly formed NASA into re-entry vehicle shapes. The pilot would also be sent to the Naval Air Development Center in Johnsville, Pennsylvania , and would be subjected to high G-forces in a centrifuge for comparison with data collected in the simulator. His request for

23040-463: Was assassinated . Glenn and Annie went with Kennedy to the hospital, and the next morning took Kennedy's children home to Virginia. Glenn was later a pallbearer at the funeral in New York. In 1970, Young did not seek reelection and the seat was open. Businessman Howard Metzenbaum , Young's former campaign manager, was backed by the Ohio Democratic party and major labor unions, which provided him

23200-490: Was assigned to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in southern California. He volunteered for service with the occupation in North China, believing it would be a short tour. He joined VMF-218 (another Corsair squadron), which was based at Nanyuan Field near Beijing, in December 1946, and flew patrol missions until VMF-218 was transferred to Guam in March 1947. In December 1948, Glenn was re-posted to NAS Corpus Christi as

23360-583: Was assigned to Marine Squadron VMJ-353 , which flew R4D transport planes from there. The fighter squadron VMO-155 was also at Camp Kearny flying the Grumman F4F Wildcat . Glenn approached the squadron's commander, Major J. P. Haines, who suggested that he could put in for a transfer. This was approved, and Glenn was posted to VMO-155 on July 2, 1943, two days before the squadron moved to Marine Corps Air Station El Centro in California. The Wildcat

23520-589: Was assigned to be the operations officer for VMF-311 , one of two Marine fighter squadrons there while he waited for the exchange assignment to go through. VMF-311 was equipped with the F9F Panther jet fighter-bomber . Glenn's first mission was a reconnaissance flight on February 26. He flew 63 combat missions in Korea with VMF-311 and was nicknamed "Magnet Ass" because of the number of flak hits he took on low-level close air support missions; twice, he returned to base with over 250 holes in his plane. He flew for

23680-545: Was commissioned 23 October 1954 and was active until decommissioned 31 March 1980. The actual undersea surveillance mission of the system and shore facility remained classified through decommissioning. The NAVFAC was located ( 21°30′43.6″N 71°07′57.7″W  /  21.512111°N 71.132694°W  / 21.512111; -71.132694 ) near the Grand Turk Lighthouse. Grand Turk, located about 700 nmi (810 mi; 1,300 km) from Cape Canaveral , became

23840-570: Was eight years old. He became fascinated by flight and built model airplanes from balsa wood kits. Along with his adopted sister Jean, he attended New Concord Elementary School. He washed cars and sold rhubarb to earn money to buy a bicycle, after which he took a job delivering The Columbus Dispatch newspaper. He was a member of the Ohio Rangers , an organization similar to the Cub Scouts . His boyhood home in New Concord has been restored as

24000-560: Was established on October 1, 1958, as a civilian agency to develop space technology. One of its first initiatives was announced on December 17, 1958. This was Project Mercury , which aimed to launch a man into Earth orbit , return him safely to the Earth, and evaluate his capabilities in space. His Bureau of Aeronautics job gave Glenn access to new spaceflight news, such as the X-15 rocket plane. While on duty at Patuxent and in Washington, Glenn read everything he could find about space. His office

24160-415: Was expected to be a divisive primary battle between Metzenbaum and Glenn. He declined, denouncing their attempts as "bossism" and "blackmail". Glenn's counteroffer suggested that Gilligan fill the position with someone other than Metzenbaum or Glenn so neither would have an advantage going into the 1974 election. Metzenbaum's campaign agreed to back Gilligan in his governor re-election campaign, and Metzenbaum

24320-465: Was faster than that of a .45 caliber bullet , Glenn called the flight Project Bullet . He flew an F8U Crusader 2,445 miles (3,935 km) from Los Alamitos, California , to Floyd Bennett Field in New York City in 3 hours, 23 minutes and 8.3 seconds, averaging supersonic speed despite three in-flight refuelings when speeds dropped below 300 miles per hour (480 km/h). His on-board camera took

24480-546: Was not Guanahani but Babueca , an island separately discovered by Martín Alonso Pinzón in November - December 1492. A U.S. Naval Facility (NAVFAC), the name given for a shore terminus of an offshore surveillance array of the Sound Surveillance System (SOSUS), was established on Grand Turk in 1954 as one of three additional Atlantic systems installed that year during the first phase of SOSUS installation. The facility

24640-688: Was obsolete by this time, and VMO-155 re-equipped with the F4U Corsair in September 1943. He was promoted to first lieutenant in October 1943, and shipped out to Hawaii in January 1944. VMO-155 became part of the garrison on Midway Atoll on February 21, then moved to the Marshall Islands in June 1944 and flew 57 combat missions in the area. He received two Distinguished Flying Crosses and ten Air Medals. At

24800-667: Was ordered to South Korea in October 1952, late in the Korean War. Before he set out for Korea in February 1953, he applied to fly the F-86 Sabre jet fighter-interceptor through an inter-service exchange position with the U.S. Air Force (USAF). In preparation, he arranged with Colonel Leon W. Gray to check out the F-86 at Otis Air Force Base in Massachusetts . Glenn reported to K-3 , an airbase in South Korea, on February 3, 1953, and

24960-535: Was promoted to major in July 1952. Glenn received the World War II Victory Medal , American Campaign Medal , Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (with one star ), Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp), and the China Service Medal for his efforts. Glenn moved his family back to New Concord during a short period of leave, and after two and a half months of jet training at Cherry Point,

25120-424: Was still a Marine and had plenty of unused leave time, so he elected to use it while he waited for his retirement papers to go through. To avoid partisanship, NASA quickly closed Glenn's agency office. The New York Times reported that while many Ohioans were skeptical of Glenn's qualifications for the Senate, he could defeat Young in the Democratic primary; whether he could defeat Representative Robert Taft Jr. ,

25280-454: Was subsequently appointed in January 1974 to the vacated seat. At the end of Saxbe's term, Glenn challenged Metzenbaum in the primary for the Ohio Senate seat. Glenn's campaign changed their strategy after the 1970 election. In 1970, Glenn won most of the counties in Ohio but lost in those with larger populations. The campaign changed its focus, and worked primarily in the large counties. In

25440-419: Was that he has been a part of over 3,000 roll calls and "any one of them could be taken out of context". Glenn was projected to win the race easily, and won by the largest margin ever for an Ohio Senator, defeating Betts by over 40 percent. Glenn was unhappy with how divided the country was, and thought labels like conservative and liberal increased the divide. He considered himself a centrist. Glenn thought

25600-417: Was the rocket pack—or I wouldn't be answering these questions." After the flight, it was determined that the heat shield was not loose; the sensor was faulty. Friendship 7 safely splashed down 800 miles (1,290 km) southeast of Cape Canaveral after Glenn's 4-hour, 55-minute flight. He carried a note on the flight which read, "I am a stranger. I come in peace. Take me to your leader and there will be

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