Neil Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, on August 5,
1930. After serving in the Korean War and then finishing college, he joined the
organization that would become NASA. He joined the astronaut program in 1962
and was command pilot for his first mission, Gemini VIII, in 1966. He was
spacecraft commander for Apollo 11, the first manned lunar mission, and the
first man to walk on the moon.
Armstrong along with Michael Collins and Edwin E.
"Buzz" Aldrin, he was part of NASA's first manned mission to the
moon. The trios were launched into space on July 16, 1969. Serving as the
mission's commander, Armstrong piloted the Lunar Module to the moon's surface
on July 20, 1969, with Buzz Aldrin aboard. Collins remained on the Command
Module. At 10:56 PM, Armstrong exited the Lunar Module. He said,
"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," as he
made his famous first step on the moon. For about two and a half hours, Armstrong
and Aldrin collected samples and conducted experiments. They also took
photographs, including their own footprints.
Armstrong died at the age of 82, from complications from a
heart bypass surgery, but usually deaths of this magnitude often give viewers
the chance to reflect, to put into perspective lives of great accomplishment or
great notoriety. Not so with Neil Armstrong. His death was like his life:
strangely silent given the magnitude of his achievements. Armstrong will be
forever remember but he was never given the credit where credit was due. Everything
Armstrong did for the United States and space exploration should truly be
remembered and never forgotten, so the next time you go outside on a clear
night and stare up at the moon give Neil a wink.
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