First Man on the Moon

Neil Armstrong was an American astronaut who was famous for

being the first person to walk on the Moon.

His Early Life

Neil Armstrong was born on 5th August 1930, in the USA.
His passion for flying began at a young age. When he was
two years old, his parents took him to Cleveland Air Race
which was where he saw his first ever aircraft. At the age
of six, Neil was taken by his dad for a ride in an aeroplane.
He worked hard to achieve his dream of being a pilot:
Armstrong was only 16 years old when he received his
first pilot’s licence, before he could even drive a car!

Fun Facts
• He was a keen Boy Scout.
• He suffered from travel sickness as a child, but was fine in space!

In September 1962, Neil Armstrong was accepted to the NASA astronaut corps,
where he knew he might one day go in to space. Amazingly, during his career he flew
over two hundred different aircraft!

The Moon Landing

Finally, everything was ready! On 16th July 1969,
at 13:32, Neil Armstrong and his crew mates Edwin
(Buzz) Aldrin and Michael Collins blasted off
into space.

Neil Armstrong became the first man to

walk on the Moon on 20th July 1969.
It was shown all across the world
on television. It is estimated that
600 million people watched the
astronauts make history.

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 First Man on the Moon
During their moonwalk, Armstrong
and Aldrin planted the flag of the
United States of America. They also
spent time collecting moon rocks from
the surface. The astronauts returned
home to Earth on 24th July 1969.

Later Life
After he had returned
home, Armstrong retired
from being an astronaut.
However, his enthusiasm for
space and aircraft continued
and he became a professor in order
to share his passion.

Famous Words
Neil Armstrong died on 25th August
2012 at the age of 82. He will always
be remembered for his famous words:
“That’s one small step for man, one
giant leap for mankind.”

Did You Know…?

There is no wind on the Moon so the astronauts’ footprints will still be
there right now, nearly fifty years later!

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 First Man on the Moon
In 1969, Neil Armstrong became a worldwide name and a hero. He
was the first person to walk on the Moon.

His Early Life

Neil Armstrong was born on 5th August 1930, in the state of Ohio
in the USA. His passion for flying blossomed at a young age.
When he was two years old, his parents took him to Cleveland
Air Race which was where he saw his first ever aircraft up
close. At the age of six, Neil was taken by his dad for a ride in
an aeroplane. He worked hard to achieve his dream of being a
pilot: Armstrong was only 16 years old when he received his
first pilot’s licence, before he could even drive a car!

Fun Facts
• He was an eager Boy Scout and earned the rank of Eagle Scout!

• As a child, he suffered from travel sickness, but luckily he was

absolutely fine on the journey to the Moon!

• He loved making model aircraft in his spare time.

During his long career, Neil Armstrong flew more than two hundred different aircraft.
His strengths were being resilient and calm under pressure
so he was excellent at flying in very dangerous
situations. As a result, in September 1962, he was
accepted to the NASA astronaut corps.

The Moon Landing

Finally, everything was ready! On 16th
July 1969, at 13:32, the powerful
Saturn V rocket blasted Neil
Armstrong and his crew mates
Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin and Michael
Collins into space. It was a long
journey to the Moon that took
over three days!

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 First Man on the Moon
Four days later, Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the Moon.
They landed in the lunar module, called ‘the Eagle’. Collins
stayed in orbit, doing experiments and taking photographs.
Finally, following checks and preparation, on 20th July 1969,
they opened the hatch of the Eagle. The Moon landing was
shown all across the world on television. It is estimated that
600 million people watched. As he stepped off the ladder, he
was heard to say, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap
for mankind.”

During their moonwalk, Armstrong and Aldrin planted the flag

of the United States of America. They also spent time collecting
moon rocks from the surface and brought them back to Earth to be
studied. The astronauts arrived home on Earth on 24th July 1969.

Later Life
After he had returned home, Armstrong
retired from being an astronaut.
However, his enthusiasm for space and
aircraft continued and he became a
professor in order to share his passion.
Neil Armstrong died on 25th August
2012 at the age of 82.

Did You Know…?

There is no wind on the Moon so the astronauts’ footprints will still be
there right now, nearly fifty years later, and perhaps for millions of years
to come!

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 First Man on the Moon
In July 1969, Neil Armstrong became a hero, a national treasure
and worldwide name. He was the American astronaut who was the
first person to ever set foot on the surface of the Moon.

His Early Life

Neil Armstrong was born on 5th August 1930, in the state of
Ohio in the USA, the eldest of three children. He developed a
passion for aviation from a young age. His first experience of
aircraft was when his parents took him to Cleveland Air Race
as a toddler. At the age of six, he flew for the first time with
his father. As a teenager, he took flying lessons which he paid
for himself by working at a local chemist. He practised and
persevered. Consequently, by 16 years old he had achieved his
first pilot’s licence, before he could even drive a car!

Fun Facts
• Neil Armstrong was a committed Boy Scout and earned the rank
of Eagle Scout!

• He loved making model aircraft in his spare time.

• As a child, he suffered from travel sickness, but fortunately he did not

experience space sickness.

During his career in aviation, Neil Armstrong flew

more than two hundred different aircraft! He was
renowned for being resilient and calm under
pressure, strengths which helped him to fly
in very dangerous situations. It was in
September 1962 that he was accepted
to the NASA astronaut corps, which
would eventually lead to the very
difficult job of landing on the Moon!

The Moon Landing

Finally, everything was ready!
On 16th July 1969, at 13:32, the
powerful Saturn V rocket blasted
Neil Armstrong and his crew

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 First Man on the Moon
mates Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin and Michael Collins into space. It
was a long journey to the Moon which lasted over three days.

Once they arrived, the crew split up. Armstrong and Aldrin
climbed into the lunar module, called ‘the Eagle’, to begin
the descent to the Moon’s surface. Collins stayed in orbit,
doing experiments and taking photographs. Finally, following
checks and preparation, on 20th July 1969, Neil and Buzz
opened the Eagle’s hatch. The Moon landing was shown all
across the world on television to an estimated audience of 600
million people. As he stepped off the ladder, on to the Moon’s
surface, Armstrong was heard to say, “That’s one small step for
man, one giant leap for mankind.”

After landing, Armstrong and Aldrin had a moonwalk around the landing site where
they planted the flag of the United States of America. They also spent time collecting
moon rocks from the surface so they could be studied back on Earth.

The astronauts arrived home on Earth on 24th July 1969

where they were quarantined (put in isolation) in case of
infectious diseases or illnesses before being released to
tour the country.

Later Life
After he had returned home, Armstrong retired from
being an astronaut. However, his enthusiasm for space
and aircraft continued and he became a professor in
order to share his passion.

Neil Armstrong died on 25th August 2012, aged 82.

Did You Know…?

• A modern smartphone is several thousand times more powerful
than the computers used for Apollo 11!

• The Saturn V rocket was the largest rocket ever built, standing at 111
metres tall! It was higher than the Statue of Liberty and taller than
many tower blocks!

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