Neil Armstrong
The first man to walk on the moon
Neil Armstrong in space shuttle en route to the moon
Here are some highlights about Neil Armstrong's life:
- 1930 - Born in Wapakoneta, Ohio
- 1936 - Experiences in his first airplane flight
- 1947 - Begins studying aeronautical engineering at Purdue University at age 17
- 1955 - Starts flying experimental planes as part of the High-Speed Flight Station
- 1962 - Joins the NASA Astronaut Corps
- 1966 - Is Commander of the Gemini 8 mission, and the first astronaut to dock to vehicles in space. First time into space
- 1969 - Is Commander of the Apollo 11 mission, and the first man to walk on the moon. Second time into space
- 1971 - Becomes a Professor at the University of Cincinnati where he teaches until his retirement in 1979
- 2012 - Dies at age 82
"It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn't feel like a giant. I felt very, very small."