The Life of Neil Armstrong

By sivathanuas

  • Birth

    Birth
    Neil Armstrong grew up in in a small town called Wapakoneta located in Ohio. His family was always moving and by the age of 14 he had already lived in more than 15 towns.

  • First Airplane Ride

    First Airplane Ride
    On July 26th, Neil along with his father had his first airplane ride which sparked his love for aviation.

  • Earning His License

    Earning His License
    On Neil's birthday at the age of 16, he earned his pilot's license before he even had a driver's license.

  • Enrollment at Purdue

    Enrollment at Purdue
    Under a Navy scholarship, Armstrong enrolled at Purdue to obtain a degree in aeronautical engineering.

  • Serving in the War

    Serving in the War
    Armstrong fought in the Korean War as a naval aviator. He completed a total of 78 combat missions during his service. His final mission was on March 5, 1962.

  • Graduation

    Graduation
    After his service in the Navy, Neil returned to Purdue and graduated with a bachelor of science in aeronautical engineering in 1955.

  • NACA Joining

    NACA Joining
    Following his graduation, Armstrong joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the predecessor to NASA, as an aeronautical research scientist.

  • Space Program

    Space Program
    Neil Armstrong joined NASA's space program in 1962 as one of the second batch of astronauts.

  • Gemini 8 Mission

    Gemini 8 Mission
    Armstrong, the command pilot of Gemini 8, and R. Scott successfully completed the first manual space docking maneveur.

  • Apollo 11 Moon Landing

    Apollo 11 Moon Landing
    On July 20, 1969, Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon which was broadcasted worldwide to an estimated 650 million people. Here, he delivered his iconic words, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

  • Awarded Medal of Freedom

    Awarded Medal of Freedom
    In 1969, Richard Nixon awarded Neil Armstrong and the rest of his Apollo 11 crew with Presidential Medals of Freedom.

  • Leaving NASA

    Leaving NASA
    In 1971, Armstrong left NASA to teach aerospace engineering at the University of Cincinnati. He taught there for several years. He was beloved by the students and the faculty.

  • Computing Technologies for Aviation

    Computing Technologies for Aviation
    In 1982, he became the chairman of Computing Technologies for Aviation. He served as the chairman for 10 years.

  • North Pole

    North Pole
    In 1985, Neil Armstrong along with 5 other men who were deemed some of the greatest explorers went on an expedition to the North Pole.

  • Joining Rogers Commission

    Joining Rogers Commission
    In 1986 on Ronald Reagan's request, Neil Armstrong joined the Rogers Commission as the vice chairman to investigate the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.

  • Death

    Death
    On August 25th, 2012, one of America's heroes passed away while undergoing heart surgery in Cincinnati, Ohio.