Aug 5, 1930: The birth of Neil Armstrong

Today in the history of astronomy, the first man on the Moon is born. | Published: August 5, 2026 The first person to set foot on the Moon, Neil Armstrong had a long career as a naval aviator and a research test pilot before being selected as an astronaut. Armstrong is seen here inside the Apollo 11 Lunar Module as it sat on the Moon's surface. Credit: NASA Neil Alden Armstrong was born on Aug. 5, 1930, in Ohio. A naval pilot from 1949 to 1952, Armstrong flew 78 missions in Korea. After leaving active duty, he enrolled at Purdue University and earned a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering in 1955, and then joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). During his time as an aeronautical research pilot with the NACA, he flew over 200 different types of aircraft. In 1962, NASA selected him as part of their second astronaut class. He was command pilot for Gemini VIII, and then in July 1969 embarked on his most famous mission: serving as commander of the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon. Armstrong was the first person to step onto the Moon’s surface, uttering the immortal line, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind” on July 20, 1969. Armstrong worked in NASA administration and then as a professor of engineering after leaving the astronaut corps, passing away in 2012 at the age of 82. Elisa Neckar is senior production editor of Astronomy magazine, and the editor of the Today in the History of Astronomy feature on Astronomy.com.