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 to a charity of Armstrong's choosing. Sizemore, unable to retrieve the hair, donated the proceeds to charity. Armstrong underwent bypass surgery on August 7, 2012 to relieve blocked coronary arteries. Although he was reportedly recovering well, he developed complications in the hospital and died on August 25, in Cincinnati, Ohio, aged 82. The White House released a statement describing Armstrong as "among the greatest of American heroes—not just of his time, but of all time". It went on to say that Armstrong had carried the aspirations of the United States' citizens and had delivered "a moment of human achievement that