John Young

John Young (June 12, 1802 - April 23, 1852) was an American politician.

He was born in Chelsea, Vermont. As a child, he moved to Freeport (now Conesus), Livingston County, New York. He had only basic schooling but, by self-study accumulated a knowledge of classics and became a law clerk, becoming admitted to the bar in 1829. He entered politics as a Jacksonian Democrat, and shortly afterward moved to the Anti-Masonic Party, on whose ticket he was elected to the Assembly (lower house[?]) of the New York state legislature, beginning service in 1832.

He later moved to the Whig Party, getting elected to the House of Representatives, serving from 1836 - 37 and 1841 - 43. (NOTE: one source shows both sets of dates. Another only shows him elected in 1840, which would be consistent with an 1841-43 term only.)

In 1845 he returned to the New York State Assembly, as a candidate of the Whigs and Antirenters, and was urged to run against the incumbent Governor, Silas Wright[?] on the Whig ticket. He defeated Wright and served as the Governor of New York from January, 1847 to the end of 1848.

In 1848 he became a strong supporter of Zachary Taylor's candidacy for President of the United States, and was rewarded when Taylor was successful by appointment as Assistant Treasurer of the United States in New York City. He served in the latter post until his death from tuberculosis.

John Watts Young (born September 24, 1930) was an astronaut who walked on the Moon on Apollo 16, April 21, 1972.

Young enjoyed one of the longest and busiest careers of any astronaut in the American space program. He was the first person to fly into space six times and twice journeyed to the moon.

Born in San Francisco, California, Young earned a bachelor of science[?] degree in aeronautical engineering with highest honors from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1952. After graduation Young entered the United States Navy, becoming a fighter pilot, and in 1959, a test pilot.

He joined NASA in 1962, and flew on Gemini 3, Gemini 10, Apollo 10, Apollo 16, and two space shuttle missions, STS-1, the first shuttle mission, and STS-9, the first shuttle flight with the spacelab laboratory. As of 2003, he still works for NASA in Houston, Texas.