On July 20, 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin undocked the lunar module from the command module Columbia. With astronaut Michael Collins remaining in lunar orbit, Armstrong and Aldrin used the lunar module to touch down in the Moon’s Sea of Tranquility.
With the world watching the live transmission, Armstrong emerged from the module, becoming the first person to walk on the moon. Aldrin followed 20 minutes later and the astronauts spent the next 21 hours collecting moon specimens while Collins kept the module in orbit.
After several hours of rest, the three began the journey back to Earth, and they returned home to a hero’s welcome. Although Armstrong was revered as the commander of the crew, he shied away from the attention and soon left NASA — opening up to biographers later. The Apollo 11 mission was one chapter in his eventful career as a pilot and astronaut, however here are five other details from his storied life you may not have known.
