Neil Armstrong - The First Man on the Moon

Neil Armstrong, the first man to step on the Moon, has passed away at the age of 82. The legendary U.S. astronaut died from complications following heart surgery. He made history on July 20th, 1969, as the commander of the Apollo 11 Moon-landing mission. As he stepped onto the Moon’s surface, he famously spoke the words: “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” He was 38 at the time of his historic walk and instantly became one of the most famous people on the planet. However, he spent the rest of his life trying to avoid the spotlight and downplay his achievement. He later said he never understood why people focused so much on what he did.

Armstrong was born in 1930 and grew up fascinated with flying after getting a toy plane as a present at the age of 6. He began making model planes and collecting books and magazines on aviation. As a teenager, he got his pilot’s license before his driving license. In 1949, he became a Navy pilot and flew combat missions in the Korean War. In 1958, he joined the organisation NASA and became a test pilot. Years after his Moon landing, Armstrong was asked how he felt about knowing his footprints would stay on the Moon’s surface for thousands of years. He said: “I hope that somebody goes up there and cleans them up.” When asked about the Moon, he said: “It’s an interesting place to be. I recommend it.”