Ten Days That Shook the Nation The Moon Landing, 1969 Buy This Poster At AllPosters.com

Born August 5, 1930, in Wapakoneta, Ohio. Best known as captain of the space mission Apollo 11, Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon. The oldest son of Stephen and Viola, Armstrong was deeply interested in aviation as a child. He conducted experiments with self-designed model planes and a small wind tunnel he had created in the basement of his parent's house. He began studying for his pilot's license at the age of 14, which he received two years later.

Armstrong received a degree in aeronautical engineering from Purdue University in Indiana in 1955, but prior to his graduation, he served several years of active duty in the U.S. Navy. When he first entered the Navy, at the age of 20, he was the youngest pilot in his squadron. He distinguished himself by winning three air medals for his participation in combat missions during the Korean War.

After graduation from college, Armstrong worked for Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in Cleveland, Ohio. Working at NACA gave him the opportunity to test pilot numerous early models of jet aircrafts, including the B-29 'drop plane', which utilized a then-groundbreaking launch technique of rocket propulsion. He also piloted the X-1B, a plane whose earlier prototype had been the first rocket-propelled craft to break the sound barrier.

Armstrong was decidedly one of the most talented young pilots among his peers. He was one of three pilots chosen during this time to fly the X-15, a prototype space craft, which he flew successfully on seven flights. His experience on the X-15 led to a piloting opportunity aboard a revolutionary aircraft, the Dynasoar, a plane designed to leave the atmosphere and orbit the earth like a space ship, but with the function to reenter the atmosphere and land like a conventional airplane.

In 1962, while working on the Dynasoar, Armstrong applied to a recently established astronaut program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). NASA accepted him as one of only the second group of astronauts in its history, and Armstrong immediately began specialized training. His first assignment was serving on the Gemini-Titan 5 mission as the backup for command pilot Gordon Cooper. His made his first space flight as the commander pilot on the Gemini-Titan 8 mission, which launched March 16, 1966. Gemini-Titan 8 was the first craft to dock while in orbit with another vehicle, the Agena. During this mission, however, due to a malfunction with the manual control, Armstrong was forced to bring the ship down in the Pacific. His grace under pressure was noteworthy in this potentially disastrous situation, assuring NASA officials that Armstrong was a reliable choice to lead future projects.

Armstrong was chosen to command the world.s first lunar landing, the Apollo 11 space mission. Lunar module pilot Edwin E. .Buzz. Aldrin Jr. and command module pilot Michael Collins accompanied Armstrong as the Saturn rocket Columbia launched into space from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 16, 1969. They entered lunar orbit three days later, and on July 20, Aldrin and Armstrong entered the lunar module, the Eagle, to separate from the command module and descend to the moon.s surface, approximately 300 miles away. The lunar landing occurred less than two hours later, at 4:17 p.m. (EST), on a flat touchdown area in an area of the moon known as the Sea of Tranquility.

At 10:56 p.m., millions of viewers around the globe shared one of the world.s greatest achievements as they witnessed Armstrong stepping tentatively onto the moon.s surface and moments later heard him speak the historic words, .That.s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.. (Armstrong later explained that his voice-activated microphone did not transmit the word .a,. accounting for the favored misquotation.)

Upon following Armstrong out of the module, Aldrin radioed, .Now I want to partially close the hatch, making sure not to lock it on my way out.. Armstrong responded aptly, .A good thought.. Armstrong and Aldrin spent over two hours outside the craft, taking photographs and collecting samples of materials found on the moon.s surface. They also planted an American flag and a laid a plaque reading .Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon. We came in peace for all mankind..

On July 21, Armstrong and Aldrin launched their landing module from the moon, and with co-pilot Collins, the three astronauts returned to Earth aboard the command module Columbia. Following an 18-day quarantine period (to ensure against possible contamination), they were greeted around the world with parades, honors, and overwhelming fanfare. Armstrong received accolades from a total of 17 nations, among them the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Harmon International Aviation Trophy. In 1978, he was also awarded the Space Medal of Honor.

In addition to his accomplishments in astronautics, Armstrong has had a successful career in education and business. From 1971-78, he taught aerospace engineering at the University of Cincinnati. He served as the chair of the Board of Cardwell International from 1980-82 and Computing Technologies for Aviation from 1983-1993. In 1997, he became the director of Ohio National Financial Services Inc., based in Cincinnati.

Armstrong currently lives in Ohio with his wife, Janet Shearon, whom he married in 1956. The couple had three children: Eric, Karen (born in 1959, who died three years later from a brain tumor), and Michael.

Neil A. Armstrong (born August 5, 1930) is an American test pilot and astronaut and the first person to walk on the Moon. Amstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio and served in the Korean War as a jet fighter pilot, then became a civilian test pilot for NASA and piloted the X-15 rocket plane. Armstrong was selected by NASA as an astronaut in 1962. He commanded Gemini 8, which achieved the first docking of two orbiting spacecraft, in 1966. He served as commander of the backup crew for the Apollo 8 lunar orbital mission in 1968. In 1969, Armstrong commanded the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission.