1930
Overview:
Everybody knows who Neil Armstrong is! He is one of the most well known heroes of the 20th century. His moonwalk was one of the biggest achievements of the last 100 years of science and space exploration, and his name will forever be in the history books.
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Neil Armstrong
The first man to set foot on the moon will never be forgotten.
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Country:
United States of America
Type
of hero: Trailblazer
Attributes:
Bravery, Intellegence, a Leader.
Biography:
Neil Alden Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio on the 5th of August in 1930. Although there is limited information on his early childhood it is a fact that Neil always loved to fly and could fly an aeroplane before he even thought about learning to drive a car.
He worked very hard and received a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering at Purdue University and a Master in Science degree from the University of Southern California. He knew that he wanted to be in the sky, but he didn’t know how high up he’d be going at this point.
From 1949 to 1952 Armstrong flew as a Naval aviator and in 1955 he joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics’ Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory. He then got a transfer to the High Speeds Flight Station at Edwards Airforce Base in California His job was to trial aircraft, one of which was the x-15 rocket plane which was the plane used later on to launch him into space.
He was chosen by NASA to fly to the moon in 1962. After much training, in 1966, with fellow spaceman Dave Scott, the two went into space for the first time in human history. They attempted to create the first space link up with the satellite Agena. Unfortunately, their vessel Gemini 8 spun out of control while they where half an hour away from re-entry to the earth’s atmosphere, and a planned moonwalk for Scott had to be aborted.
1969 would be the next year that Armstrong would venture into space, and this journey on Apollo 11 would be the one where he would successfully place the first human footprint on the moon. They set off on July 16th. They played around up there on the surface for two hours, while at the same time gathering very important information about the moon’s atmosphere and surface. With his crewmates Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins it only took them four days to reach the moon. The first flight to the moon was a totally success and will be remembered as long as the history of time continues.
Armstrong left NASA in 1971 and went on to become a professor of aeronautical engineering at the University of Cincinnati. He taught here until 1981. He is now a big man in Business and is currently the chairman of CTA inc. (Coating and Automotive Technologies)
On March 19, 1993 Armstrong’s achievements were recognised and he was inducted into the Astronauts Hall of Fame. 
Citations
& References:
Links:
http://www.astronauts.org/astronauts/armstrong.htm
http://www.letsfindout.com/subjects/space/apollo11.html
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