IL SR1280

Declares December 21, 2024 as Captain James A. Lovell Day in the State of Illinois.

Captain Lovell, a Lake Forest resident, is the oldest living former NASA astronaut and was born in Cleveland, Ohio on March 25, 1928.

Served as astronaut on four space missions: Gemini 7 (December 1965), Gemini 12 (November 1966), Apollo 8 (December 1968), and Apollo 13 (April 1970), becoming the first person to journey twice to the moon.

Received numerous honors including the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1970), the Order of Lincoln Award (2012), the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, and multiple Harmon International Trophies.

Logged over 7,000 hours of flying time and more than 3,500 hours in jet aircraft during his naval career; retired from the Navy and NASA in 1973 to pursue business ventures in telecommunications and shipping industries.