Neil Armstrong in 1969
Credit: NASA
Name: Neil Alden Armstrong
Born: 5th August 1930
Died: 25th August 2012 (aged 82)
Nationality: USA
Occupation: astronaut, pilot, engineer, professor
Time in space: 8 days, 14 hours, 12 minutes, 30 seconds
Neil Armstrong grew up in Ohio, USA. He flew a plane for first time when he was 6 years old which sparked his love of flying. Aged 16, he received his pilot's licence. Neil joined the US Navy and served as a naval aviator in the Korean War. The navy paid his college fees and Neil completed a Bachelor's degree in Aeronautical Engineering.
After the war, Neil was a research test pilot for the agency which would later become NASA. He was selected for NASA's astronaut programme in 1962. His first flight was as the pilot of Gemini 8 in 1966.
On July 20th 1969, as commander of the Apollo 11 mission, Neil was the first person to walk on the Moon. Neil was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Nixon, and the Congressional Gold Medal, amongst many others.
