Moon Eyes

"One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind"- These are the golden words spoken by the man who was the first one to step on moon. Neil Armstrong, the first man to step on moon created a landmark in history on July 21, 1969 by stepping on the moon.

Neil Armstrong was born on August 5, 1930 on a farm in Wapakoneta, Ohio. However, his family eventually settled in Wapakoneta in 1944. Here Neil took up various jobs though he was most intrigued by his job at the local airport. It was here that Armstrong begun to be fascinated by aviation.

He started to take flying lessons at the age of 15. By the time Neil Armstrong was 16 years of age, he had already been awarded with a pilot's license. But Armstrong's inclination towards aviation just did not end here. He went on to pursue a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Purdue University under the Holloway Plan. This was followed by a degree in aerospace engineering at the University of Southern California in 1970.

Before Armstrong could finish completing his masters degree, he was asked to join the Pensacola Naval Air Station in Florida in 1949. Here, he was permitted to fly an aircraft. And mind you, Armstrong was just 20 when he flew the first aircraft at the Naval base. This made him the youngest pilot in his squadron.

His foray into space is quite an interesting tale. He was selected for a program called Man In Space Soonest, also known as MISS in 1957. In 1963, he was chosen as the first American Civilian to fly into space.

The greatest achievement made by Armstrong and for the entire mankind took place on July 21, 1969. It was on this day that Armstrong stepped off from the Lunar Lander and placed his foot on the moon. It was on this historic moment that Armstrong uttered the golden words "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

While Armstrong was the first one to step on the moon, he was later joined by Aldrin, his co-pilot. Both of them investigated the surface of the moon and even planted the American flag there. Owing to the incredible achievement of Armstrong, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This one is considered to be the highest honor bestowed upon civilians, as well as a host of other medals from NASA and other countries.

After Armstrong, there have been numerous other astronauts who have stepped on the moon. But, it is Neil Armstrong, whose name remains the most familiar and well known.