Neil Armstrong American astronaut Date of Birth: 05.08.1930 Country: USA

Biography of Neil Armstrong

Neil Alden Armstrong, an American astronaut, aerospace engineer, test pilot, and university professor, is best known as the first person to walk on the moon. Born near Wapakoneta, Ohio, Armstrong had a mix of Scottish, Irish, and German heritage. His parents often moved, and he lived in 20 different cities during his childhood.

Armstrong developed an interest in aviation at a young age, attending air shows at the age of 2 and taking his first airplane ride at 5. In 1944, his family settled in the city where he was born. Armstrong attended school and took flying lessons, earning his student pilot's license at the age of 16, even before his driver's license.

At the age of 17, Armstrong enrolled at Purdue University to study aeronautical engineering. He became the second member of his family to attend college. He later continued his studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he earned his bachelor's and master's degrees.

Armstrong was enlisted in the Navy on January 26, 1949, and completed an 18-month training program, acquiring valuable skills for his future career as a pilot. He also served as a test pilot for a period of time. After completing his military service, Armstrong returned to Purdue University to further his education.

It was during his time at Purdue that Armstrong met Janet Elizabeth Shearon, an economics student. They got married on January 28, 1956, without following any traditional courtship rituals. They later had three children, but tragically, their daughter Karen passed away from pneumonia at the age of 2 due to a malignant tumor.

After graduating from university, Armstrong became a test pilot. In 1958, he was selected to participate in the United States Air Force's "Man In Space Soonest" program. In 1962, Armstrong was chosen as an astronaut by NASA. His first space mission was the Gemini 8, where he became the first civilian astronaut to venture into space. As part of this mission, Armstrong also participated in the first manual docking of two spacecraft alongside David Scott.

Armstrong's second and final space mission was the Apollo 11. During this mission, he became the first person to set foot on the surface of the moon. Alongside Buzz Aldrin, Armstrong spent two and a half hours on the lunar surface. For their achievements, Aldrin, Armstrong, and Michael Collins, who remained in orbit, were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

After returning to Earth, Armstrong announced that he would not be returning to space. He later became a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Cincinnati. He remained connected to NASA, serving on committees investigating the accidents of the Apollo 13 and Challenger missions.

Neil Armstrong passed away on August 25, 2012, at the age of 82. The cause of his death was complications from heart surgery.