Neil Armstrong

1930 – 2012 · died at about 82^[1][2]

Exploration

Fun Facts About Neil Armstrong

• Neil Armstrong earned a student flight certificate on his 16th birthday and flew solo that August, all before he had a driver's license.^[1]
• Armstrong took wood from the propeller and fabric from the wing of the 1903 Wright Flyer with him to the Moon.^[1]
• Training for Apollo 11, Armstrong ejected from a crashing lunar landing trainer; analysis suggested that half a second later his parachute would not have opened in time.^[1]
• Armstrong stopped signing autographs around 1993 after learning that his signatures were being sold online and that most were forgeries.^[1]
• Armstrong was accepted to MIT but chose Purdue after watching Purdue's football team beat Ohio State in 1945.^[1]
• Before he was an astronaut, Armstrong flew 78 missions over Korea as a Navy pilot.^[1]
• Orville Wright and Neil Armstrong were alive at the same time for more than 17 years.^[1][2][3][4]
• Neil Armstrong was alive at the same time as Thomas Edison — their lives overlapped for 1 year (1930–1931).^[1][2][5][6]

Neil Alden Armstrong was an American astronaut and aeronautical engineer who, as the commander of the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, became the first person to walk on the Moon. He was also a naval aviator, test pilot and university professor.^[1]

Contemporaries

Nelson Mandela

82 yr overlap

Stan Lee

82 yr overlap

Margaret Thatcher

82 yr overlap

B.B. King

82 yr overlap

Fidel Castro

82 yr overlap

Gabriel García Márquez

82 yr overlap

James Watson

82 yr overlap

Maya Angelou

82 yr overlap

Chinua Achebe

82 yr overlap

Vera Rubin

82 yr overlap

Noam Chomsky

82 yr overlap

Tu Youyou

82 yr overlap

Their World

Questions About Neil Armstrong

When was Neil Armstrong born?

Neil Armstrong was born on August 5, 1930, and died on August 25, 2012.

How old was Neil Armstrong at death?

Neil Armstrong was born on August 5, 1930, and died on August 25, 2012, at age 82.

What was Neil Armstrong known for?

Neil Armstrong was known for: First human to walk on the Moon. Neil Alden Armstrong was an American astronaut and aeronautical engineer who, as the commander of the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, became the first person to walk on the Moon. He was also a naval aviator, test pilot and university professor.

Who was alive at the same time as Neil Armstrong?

Neil Armstrong's closest contemporary was Nelson Mandela. Their lives overlapped for 82 years.