Who was and what did Neil Armstrong do? Summary of Neil Armstrong's life
Neil Armstrong was an American born in Wapakoneta – Ohio, on August 5, 1930. He gained worldwide recognition for being the first astronaut to set foot on the Moon.
With a degree in aeronautical engineering from Purdue University, Armstrong became a pilot in the United States Navy, even participating in the Korean War.
He then joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, where he was a test pilot.
Life and Career of Neil Armstrong
In 1962 he became a NASA astronaut, and in 1966 he commanded his first space mission aboard Gemini 8.
In 1969, Neil Armstrong participated in the historic Apollo 11 mission, which was on the Moon between July 16th and 24th. Armstrong was the first to step onto the lunar surface on July 21.
He remained on the Moon for approximately 2 hours and 14 minutes, during which time he displayed the American flag and installed scientific instruments to collect samples of lunar rocks.
After returning from that mission, Armstrong was named head of NASA's aeronautical activities. In 1971, he left the North American Space Agency and began working as a professor at the University of Cincinnati.
Neil Armstrong passed away on August 25, 2012, after undergoing heart surgery earlier that month. The astronaut was 82 years old.
