Neil Armstrong's Birthday
Next: August 5, 2027
He learned to fly before he could drive.
The story
Where it comes from
Neil Alden Armstrong was born on 5 August 1930 on his grandparents' farm near Wapakoneta, Ohio, and this Story marks his birthday. He caught the flying bug early: his father took him to the National Air Races in Cleveland at two, and he had his first plane ride at six. He studied aeronautical engineering at Purdue, flew as a naval aviator, and became a research pilot, flying aircraft such as the X-15 rocket plane. NASA chose him for its second astronaut class in 1962, and in July 1969 he became the first person to walk on the Moon.
How it's celebrated
There is no formal observance. To mark the day, look up at the Moon tonight, visit an air and space museum or planetarium, or read about the engineering behind Apollo 11. He went on to teach engineering, so helping a child build and fly a paper plane is a fitting tribute too.
Did you know
- He had his student pilot's licence by his 16th birthday, before he had a driving licence or had finished high school.
- After Apollo 11 he chose to teach aerospace engineering at the University of Cincinnati.
- NASA's flight research centre at Edwards, California, where he worked as a test pilot, is now named after him.
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