Who was really the first man on the moon
'And I take a substantial amount of pride in the accomplishments of my profession.' 'I am, and ever will be, a white socks, pocket protector, nerdy engineer,' he said in February 2000 in one of his rare public appearances.
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Historic: The New York Times cover the day after the landing proudly chronicles the achievementĪlthough he had been a Navy fighter pilot, a test pilot for NASA's forerunner and an astronaut, Armstrong never allowed himself to be caught up in the celebrity and glamor of the space program. 'The sights were simply magnificent, beyond any visual experience that I had ever been exposed to,' Armstrong once said. He radioed back to Earth the historic news of 'one giant leap for mankind.' Later, he would pilot planes for NASA, and eventually, spacecrafts.ĭuring the historic mission on July 20, 1969, nearly half a billion people tuned in to watch the black and white mission to the moon, where Armstrong, joined by Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin, spent some two hours loping around on the eerie grey surface. He went on to work in the military, fighting in the Korean War. The legendary astronaut was born on August 5, 1930, near Wapakoneta, Ohio. The moon will miss its first son of earth.'Īs commander of the Apollo 11 mission, Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969. Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, too, offered his condolences, writing on Twitter: 'Neil Armstrong today takes his place in the hall of heroes. The president says that when Armstrong set foot on the moon, he delivered what he called 'a moment of human achievement that will never be forgotten.' In a statement issued by the White House, Mr Obama said Armstrong and the rest of the crew of Apollo 11 carried with them the aspirations of an entire nation when they set out for the moon in 1969. President Obama in a statement hailed the late astronaut Neil Armstrong as one of America's greatest heroes. NASA, too, was quick to express their sympathies, tweeting: ‘NASA offers its condolences on today's passing of Neil Armstrong, former test pilot, astronaut & the 1st man on the moon.’ Aged 78 and 77 respectively, both are still alive.Īccording to NBC News, the Armstrong family wrote in a statement: ‘Next time you walk outside on clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil and give him a wink.’ Duke was the youngest Apollo astronaut to reach the moon - aged 36-years-old.Įugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt were on the last mission - Apollo 17, which happened in December 1972. The two astronauts on the April 1972 Apollo 16 mission, John W.Young, 81, and Charles Duke, 76, are both living. He turns 82 next month.ĭavid Scott was part of the Apollo 15 mission he celebrated his 80th birthday in June.
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His fellow astronaut in the Apollo 12 mission - Pete Conrad - died in 1999, aged 69.Įdgar Mitchell reached the moon in February 1971. Of these famed astronauts- eight are still living.īuzz Aldrin who landed on the original mission - Apollo 11 mission in Jwith Neil Armstrong celebrated his 82nd birthday in January.Īlan Bean, now 80, took his steps on the moon in November that same year - 1969. Twelve Apollo astronauts - all Americans -have walked on the moon.