Neil Armstrong was the first person to set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969. He was an American astronaut who became a national hero after his historic moonwalk. Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, in 1930. He graduated from Purdue University with a degree in aeronautical engineering. After serving in the U.S. Navy, Armstrong joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), which later became NASA. He flew as a test pilot and was selected to be an astronaut in 1962.
Armstrong was the commander of the Apollo 11 mission. He and his crewmates, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on July 16, 1969. The Apollo 11 spacecraft entered lunar orbit on July 19, and Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the moon in the Sea of Tranquility on July 20. Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon at 10:56 p.m. EDT. He took his first step on the lunar surface and said, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Armstrong and Aldrin spent about two and a half hours on the moon. They collected samples, conducted experiments, and planted an American flag. They also took pictures and videos of the lunar surface. Armstrong and Aldrin then returned to the Apollo 11 spacecraft and blasted off from the moon. They returned to Earth on July 24, 1969.
Armstrong’s moonwalk was a historic event that was watched by millions of people around the world. It was a major milestone in the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Armstrong’s achievement inspired people all over the world and showed that anything is possible if we set our minds to it.
Armstrong died in 2012 at the age of 82. He is remembered as a national hero and a pioneer of space exploration.