Neil Armstrong, first man on the moon, inspired the world
NAME:Neil Armstrong
EDUCATION: Purdue University, University of Cincinnati
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Wapakoneta, Ohio
Neil Armstrong is gone but the footprints he left on the moon endure. And so does his unmatched place in history. Of all humanity, he was the first to leave Earth and step onto another world. And — it being the television age — he did so while much of humanity watched.
Neil Amstrong died Aug.25'12 at 82. Forty-three years ago, he stepped from the Apollo 11 lunar module and onto the dusty surface of the moon, declaring it “one giant leap for mankind".
More than half a billion people around the world looked on — an irony given Armstrong’s intensely private nature — and what they saw was more than just a technological triumph, or a space race victory by the United States. Although the July 20, 1969 moon landing was born in cold war rivalry, it ultimately transcended politics and became seen as a universal achievement.
Experiencing the drama of the landing, and watching Armstrong and fellow astronaut Buzz Aldrin hop about on the moon’s surface, inspired countless children to dream of becoming space explorers.
Five additional two-man crews would follow Armstrong and Aldrin to the moon, with the last landing in 1972 — 40 years ago this December. Since then, humans haven’t ventured beyond low Earth orbit. Space exploration has gone in other, safer but less glorious directions, with an unmanned rover now on Mars.
Freeze-dried food, cordless power tools and other spinoffs from the Apollo program — is the greatest legacy of Armstrong’s moon walk.
(Partial article from "Toronto Star"newspaper and pictures from "US" magazine)
Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) was an American astronaut and the first person to walk on the Moon. He was also an aerospace engineer, U.S. Navy pilot, test pilot, and university professor. Before becoming an astronaut, Armstrong was a United States Navy officer and served in the Korean War. (Wikipedia)
