January 22, 2009
Armstrong - Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong, born on August 5, 1930 in Wapakoneta, Ohio, was the first person to walk on the moon. In addition to serving as an astronaut, Armstrong served in the Navy, beginning his career as a midshipman in 1949. Armstrong flew his first flight as a test pilot in 1955 at the Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory in Cleveland. Armstrong’s quote upon exiting the Lunar Module, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” is seen as a cultural and historical touchstone. After his service in NASA, he joined University of Cincinnati as a Professor of Aerospace Engineering. Armstrong died on August 25, 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Neil Armstrong was made a Great Ohioan in 2003.