360Neil Armstrong
In 60 words
Neil Armstrong was an American astronaut and the first person to walk on the Moon. On 20 July 1969, as commander of Apollo 11, he stepped onto the lunar surface and said: 'That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.' A former test pilot and engineer, he later taught aerospace engineering and avoided fame.
Armstrong grew up in Ohio and earned his pilot's licence before his driving licence. He flew in the Korean War and as a test pilot flew the X-15 rocket plane.
In 1966 he commanded Gemini 8, which performed the first docking of two spacecraft. After Apollo 11, he became a university professor and lived quietly until his death in 2012.