John Watts Young (September 24, 1930 – January 5, 2018) is an American former astronaut, naval officer and aviator, test pilot, and aeronautical engineer.
1930
John is born in San Francisco, Califorina, USA
1952
Graduated from Georgia Tech. Entered the US Navy. Served on the USS LAWS (DD-558) in Korean War. After war, assigned to Fighter Squadron 103 for 4 years.
1955
Married Barbara Vincent White (1932-2002) in Duval, Florida, USA[1] (to 1972).[2]
*
Children: Sandra Young John Young
1959
Graduated from Navy test pilot school and assigned to Naval Air Test Center for 3 years.
1962
Selected by NASA as an astronaut in Astronaut Group 2.[3] Young flew on six NASA missions.
1965
Flew on Gemini 3 as Pilot with Gus Grissom. Awarded the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, His first of 3.[4]
Gemini 3
NASA Exceptional Service
1966
Flew on Gemini 10 as Commander with Mike Collins. Awarded the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, his second.[4]
Gemini 10
NASA Exceptional Service
1969
Flew on Apollo 10 as CM Pilot with Gene Cernan and Tom Stafford. Awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, his first of 3.[4]
Apollo 10
NASA Distinguished Service
1972
Flew on Apollo 16 as Commander with Charles Duke and Tom Mattingly. Awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, his second.[4]
Apollo 16
NASA Distinguished Service
1973
Chief of the Space Shuttle Branch of the Astronaut Office.
1974
Chief of the Astronaut Office.
1976
Retired from the Navy after 25 years of service. Awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Awarded the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal.[4]
NASA Exceptional Achievement
2004
Retired from NASA.
2006
Awarded the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, his third.[4]
NASA Exceptional Service
Obituary
John Young, NASA’s longest-serving astronaut, who flew in space six times, walked on the moon, commanded the first space shuttle and became the conscience of the astronaut corps, advocating for safety reforms in the wake of the 1986 Challenger disaster, died Jan. 5 at his home in Houston. He was 87.
NASA announced his death, citing complications from pneumonia as the cause.
Mr. Young spent 42 years in the space program and was the only astronaut to go to space as part of the Gemini, Apollo and space shuttle programs. He spent 13 years as chief of the astronaut corps, playing a major role in coordinating spaceflight training, scheduling and safety.[5]
Sources
↑ "Florida Marriage Indexes, 1822-1875 and 1927-2001," Ancestry.com.
"California Birth Index, 1905-1995," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VGFY-1KX : 27 November 2014), John Watts Young, 24 Sep 1930; citing San Francisco, California, United States, Department of Health Services, Vital Statistics Department, Sacramento.
"United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VTCH-8LM : accessed 18 December 2017), John Young in household of Hugh Young, Ward 3, Orlando, Election Precinct 16, Orange, Florida, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 48-17, sheet 21B, line 43, family 412, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 603.
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