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Who is Neil Armstrong, the first man to land on the Moon
Neil Armstrong is the first man to land on Moon on July 20, 1969, under NASA’s Apollo Program; died August 25, 2012 – 43 years after he landed on the moon.
Commander Neil Armstrong is the first man to land on Moon; he was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, on August 5, 1930. He began his NASA career in Ohio.
More so, Neil Armstrong was the eldest of three children born to Viola Louise Engel and Stephen Koenig Armstrong, a state auditor. Neil’s passion for aviation and flight was kindled when he took his first aeroplane ride at age 6.
Armstrong was active in the Boy Scouts of America and earned the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank attainable. He became a licensed pilot on his 16th birthday and a naval air cadet in 1947.
His studies in Aeronautical Engineering at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, were interrupted in 1950 by his service in the Korean War, during which he was shot down once and was awarded three Air Medals.
He completed his degree in 1955 and immediately became a civilian research pilot for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), later the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). He flew more than 1,100 hours, testing various supersonic fighters as well as the X-15 rocket plane.
How Neil Armstrong Landed on the Moon
Neil Armstrong, along with Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., and Michael Collins, blasted off in the Apollo 11 vehicle on July 16, 1969, toward the Moon. Four days later (July 20, 1969), their spaceship landed on the Moon.
Armstrong landed onto the Moon’s dusty surface with the words, “That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.”This historic moment was watched by an estimated 650 million people worldwide.
President Nixon made the first “longest-distance phone call“, as it is been called. Armstrong and Aldrin spent 21 hours, 36 minutes on the moon’s surface before making their ascent on July 24, 1969.
Meanwhile, the Apollo 11 craft came down in the Pacific Ocean west of Hawaii. The crew and the craft were picked up by the U.S.S. Hornet and the three astronauts were put into quarantine for three weeks.
Before long, the three Apollo 11 astronauts were given a warm welcome home. Crowds lined the streets of New York City to cheer on the famous heroes who were honoured in a ticker-tape parade. Armstrong received numerous awards for his efforts, including the Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.
How Did Neil Armstrong Die?
Neil Armstrong reportedly died from complications from coronary bypass surgery on August 25, 2012 – 43 years after he landed on the moon.
Armstrong was buried at sea in September 2012. While he was alive, the astronaut avoided the limelight and never cashed in on his fame.
However, New York Times reported that Armstrong’s sons believed that his death was due to incompetent post-surgical care at the Hospital and threatened legal action against the hospital.
Although Mercy Health — Fairfield Hospital defended its actions and the care Armstrong received, they secretly paid $6 million to Armstrong’s family in 2014 as part of a wrongful death settlement, and to avoid a legal battle.
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