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Neil Armstrong was born.
He was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio. His parents were Stephen Koenig Armstrong and Viola Louise Engel. -
He earned his student pilot's license when he was 16.
When he was young he had a fascination with flight, so this is significant. He began his studies in aeronautical engineering a year after he got his license. -
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He was called to serve in the Korean War.
He flew 78 combat missions in the Korean War. He returned to college after serving in the war. -
Neil Armstrong joined NASA.
As a member of NASA, he was an engineer, test pilot, astronaut and administrator. He flew over 200 different models of aircraft as a research and project pilot. -
Neil married Janet Shearon.
They had a son Eric in 1957 and a daughter Karen in 1959. However, Karen died in 1962 due to a brain tumor. They had another son in 1963 named Mark. -
Neil was the command pilot for Gemini VIII.
He and fellow astronaut David Scott performed the first successful docking of two vehicles in space. However, they experienced problems and landed in the Pacific Ocean nearly 11 hours after the mission started. -
Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin, and Neil were launched into space.
Apollo 11 was the first manned mission to the moon by NASA. Armstrong was the mission's commander. -
"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
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Apollo 11, Neil set foot on the moon.
He was the first man on the moon. He and Aldrin analyzed the moon for about two and a half hours. -
Apollo 11 came back to Earth.
Apollo 11 came down in the Pacific Ocean west of Hawaii. They were picked up by the U.S.S. Hornet and put into a 3-week quarantine. Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins were cheered on in New York in a ticker-tape parade. Armstrong remained with NASA afterwards. -
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Neil stayed active in the field of aeronautics after leaving NASA.
He was Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the university University of Cincinnati for 8 years. He was also the chairman of Computing Technologies for Aviation, Inc. from 1982 to 1992. -
Armstrong was vice chairman of a Pres. Commission.
The commision was to investigate the accident of the space shuttle Challenger. Challenger had exploded, killing its crew. -
Neil Armstrong expressed concerns over changes made to the space program.
Armstrong protested against President Barack Obama's decision to cancel the Constellation program. He claimed that it would cost America its leaderhsip position in space exploration. -
"If the leadership we have acquired through our investment is simply allowed to fade away, other nations will surely step in where we have faltered."
"America is respected for its contributions it has made in learning to sail on this new ocean. If the leadership we have acquired through our investment is simply allowed to fade away, other nations will surely step in where we have faltered. I do not believe that would be in our best interests." -
Neil, sadly, passed away.
Neil Armstrong died of complications following cardiovascular procedures in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is survived by his second wife and his two sons from his first marriage. "Neil was among the greatest of American heroes—not just of his time, but of all time," says Obama.
