Neil Armstrong

During the Apollo 11 mission, the Russian newspaper Pravda called Neil "the czar of the ship." Command Module Pilot Michael Collins found this very funny and insisted on referring to Neil as "the czar" for the rest of the flight.

n 1971, Neil was awarded the Sylvanus Thayer Award by the United States Military Academy at West Point for his service to the country.

Neil retired as chairman of the board of EDO Corporation in 2002.

Neil's highest qualification was a Master's in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California.

In the fall of 1979, Neil was working at his farm near Lebanon, Ohio. As he jumped off of the back of his grain truck, his wedding ring caught in the wheel, tearing off his ring finger. He collected the severed finger, packed it in ice, and managed to have it reattached by microsurgeons at the Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky.

In 1972, Armstrong was welcomed into the town of Langholm, Scotland, the traditional seat of Clan Armstrong.

Neil acted as a spokesman for General Time Corporation and the Bankers Association of America.

Neil announced shortly after the Apollo 11 flight that he did not plan to fly in space again.

In Wapakoneta, Neil attended Blume High School.

Neil served as a test pilot at the NACA High-Speed Flight Station, now known as the Dryden Flight Research Center.

Neil enjoys playing golf.

Neil was inducted into the Aerospace Walk of Honor and the Astronaut Hall of Fame.

Neil was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

In June 1961, Neil's daughter from his first marriage, Karen was diagnosed with a malignant tumor of the middle part of her brain stem. She died of pneumonia on January 28, 1962.

Before becoming an astronaut, Neil was an aviator for the United States Navy.

Neil divorced Janet Shearon in 1994, and later married Carol Held Knight on 12 June 1994.

On January 28, 1956 at the Congregational Church, Neil married his fiancee Janet Elizabeth Shearon. The couple later had three children together – Eric, Karen, and Mark.

While skiing with friends at Aspen, Colorado in February 1991, Neil suffered a mild heart attack.

Neil has a brother in the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity.

Neil's height is 5'11" (1.80 m).

Neil has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Armstrong was on the panel that investigated the Apollo 13 accident (an onboard explosion that endangered the crew and forced them to cancel their lunar landing). He was also on the Presidential Commission that investigated the Challenger disaster in 1986.

Neil Armstrong's famous "one small step" moon landing line was referenced by Pete Conrad, the commander of Apollo 12. Conrad was several inches shorter than Armstrong, and when he first stepped onto the moon, he exclaimed, "Whoopee! Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but that's a long one for me!"

His official biography, First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen was published in 2005.

A crater on the moon is named after Neil Armstrong.

Neil Armstrong served as a Naval Aviator during the Korean War. His plane was shot down in 1951, but he was able to eject safely. He flew 78 missions in Korea.

Neil Armstrong was on the backup crew for Apollo 8 (the first flight to orbit the moon).

Mark Wheeler played Neil Armstrong in the 1995 movie Apollo 13, but Armstrong also appeared in the movie himself in archive footage of his Apollo 11 landing.

On September 6 1994, David Letterman's Top Ten List was "Larry King's Top Ten Pet Peeves." One entry on the list was, "You're interviewing Neil Armstrong and he says, 'please, no questions about the moon.'"

Neil Armstrong spent 8 days, 14 hours, and 10 minutes in space.

Neil Armstrong was a member of the Gemini 8 and Apollo 11 missions.

Neil Armstrong was a test pilot for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics' High-Speed Flight Station at Edwards Air Force Base.

He graduated from the University of Southern California with masters degree in aerospace engineering.

He attended Purdue University.

He was the first person to walk on the moon.