James Lovell, Jr., was born on March 25, 1928, in Cleveland, Ohio. He graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1952 with a BS degree. He enrolled in the US Naval Test Pilot School in 1958. In 1962, he was one of nine selected by NASA to become astronauts. Lovell was command module pilot of Apollo 8, the first orbit around the Moon. He also commanded Apollo 13, the mission that had to be aborted because of an explosion onboard. Lovell resigned from NASA and the Navy in 1973. Lovell is now president of Lovell Communications.Lovell and his wife have four children.