The Buckingham

Photo Credit: www.gizmodo.com

Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, has died.  He was 82.

Armstrong, who is famous for uttering “that’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” died on Aug. 25.  He had undergone heart surgery on Aug. 8, and his family has stated that he passed from post-surgery complications.  No other details have been given at this time.

On July 20, 1969, Armstrong and the rest of the Apollo 11 mission made the first manned lunar landing.  Around 500 million TV viewers watched as history was being made.

Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, and took his first flight when he was six years old, which fueled his passion for aviation.  He studied aeronautical engineering at Purdue University, then flew Navy fighter jets during the Korean War.  Later, he earned a master’s degree at the University of Southern California.

Landing on the moon made Armstrong quite popular, but he always shunned the spotlight.  After walking on the moon, he lived a private life, buying a farm, and even teaching aerospace engineering at the University of Cincinnati.

Space historian John Logsdon believes that Armstrong was “a pioneer of flight.”  “He will be a part of history forever,” Logsdon said.