Neil Armstrong Neil Armstrong Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) was an American astronaut and aeronautical engineer who was the first person to walk on the Moon. He was also a naval aviator, test pilot, and university professor. A graduate of Purdue University, Armstrong studied aeronautical engineering with his college tuition paid for by the U.S. Navy under the Holloway Plan. He became a midshipman in 1949, and a naval aviator the following year. He saw action in the Korean War, flying the Grumman F9F Panther from the aircraft carrier . In September 1951, he was hit by
Neil Armstrong and various flags and medals flown on his space missions. A series of auctions was held on November 1 to 3, 2018, that realized $5,276,320. Two fragments of wood from the propeller and four pieces of fabric from the wing from the 1903 "Wright Flyer" that Armstrong took to the moon fetched between $112,500 and $275,000 each. In a 2010 "Space Foundation" survey, Armstrong was ranked as the #1 most popular space hero; and in 2013, "Flying" magazine ranked him #1 on its list of 51 Heroes of Aviation. The press often asked Armstrong for his views on the future