Ohioan Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon 55 years ago

Megan Sheeran
·2 min read
Neil Armstrong shortly before the Apollo 11 launch, with a model of the lunar module that he and Buzz Aldrin would use.
Neil Armstrong shortly before the Apollo 11 launch, with a model of the lunar module that he and Buzz Aldrin would use.
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On July 20, 1969, awestruck viewers around the world watched on television as Ohioan Neil Armstrong become the first person to walk on the moon.

Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, and spent his childhood moving because of his father’s career as an auditor with the state. He lived in 16 different Ohio towns before his family returned to Wapakoneta in 1944, where he began taking flying lessons at age 15. Armstrong got his pilot’s license on Aug. 5, 1946, at age 16 — before he got his driver’s license. He enrolled at Purdue University when he was 17, and studied aeronautical engineering with the financial support of the U.S. Navy, who trained him as a pilot.

A young Neil Armstrong smiles on January 14, 1933, with his mother Viola, center, and two friends.
A young Neil Armstrong smiles on January 14, 1933, with his mother Viola, center, and two friends.

After serving in the Korean War and completing his degree, Armstrong returned to Ohio, flying test flights in Cleveland’s Lewis Research Center, now known as the Glenn Research Center after another former Ohio astronaut and U.S. Senator, John Glenn.

Armstrong worked for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), a predecessor of NASA, for 17 years, and he was selected as an astronaut in 1962.

Neil Armstrong visited Ohio State University to speak at a commencement ceremony. From right, Robert Dorsey, Novice Fawcett, and M. Merle Harrod share with Armstrong the first known photograph of the moon, taken in 1851.
Neil Armstrong visited Ohio State University to speak at a commencement ceremony. From right, Robert Dorsey, Novice Fawcett, and M. Merle Harrod share with Armstrong the first known photograph of the moon, taken in 1851.

Glenn's first mission to space was Gemini 8. In 1969, he was named commander of the Apollo 11 mission, which led to his famous first steps on the moon at the age of 38. His words on touching the moon surface: "That's one small step for man ... one giant leap for mankind." He and astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin placed the first U.S. flag on the moon.

The Apollo 11 crew and their wives cutting a cake at an event in their honor. On the right is Neil Armstong and his wife, Janet; along with Buzz and Joan Aldrin and Michael and Pat Collins.
The Apollo 11 crew and their wives cutting a cake at an event in their honor. On the right is Neil Armstong and his wife, Janet; along with Buzz and Joan Aldrin and Michael and Pat Collins.

The Apollo 11 crew returned to Earth on July 24, 1969, their capsule with its parachutes splashing down safely in the Pacific Ocean. Armstrong eventually returned to Wapakoneta for a homecoming celebration with his family and community.

Neil Armstrong, center, with his wife, Janet, holding flowers on Sept. 6, 1969, at his Wapakoneta homecoming after the successful Apollo 11 moon landing. To Janet Armstrong's left is Ohio Gov. James Rhodes, for whom the Rhodes State Office Tower in downtown Columbus was named.
Neil Armstrong, center, with his wife, Janet, holding flowers on Sept. 6, 1969, at his Wapakoneta homecoming after the successful Apollo 11 moon landing. To Janet Armstrong's left is Ohio Gov. James Rhodes, for whom the Rhodes State Office Tower in downtown Columbus was named.
Neil Armstrong at his Wapakoneta homecoming on September 6, 1969, where a former classmate, Columbus resident Kathryn Dunnavant, pins on his name tag.
Neil Armstrong at his Wapakoneta homecoming on September 6, 1969, where a former classmate, Columbus resident Kathryn Dunnavant, pins on his name tag.

Armstrong decided not to return to space again and retired from NASA in 1971. Once again, he returned to Ohio. After completing his master’s degree, Armstrong taught for eight years in the aerospace engineering program at the University of Cincinnati. He continued to have ties to NASA, helping to investigate both the Apollo 13 mission and the Challenger disaster.

Neil Armstrong's parents, Stephen and Viola Armstrong, admire a gourd version of their son on display at the 1969 Ohio State Fair.
Neil Armstrong's parents, Stephen and Viola Armstrong, admire a gourd version of their son on display at the 1969 Ohio State Fair.

Armstrong passed away in Cincinnati on Aug. 25, 2012, following complications from cardiac surgery. He was 82.

Megan Sheeran is a librarian with the Columbus Metropolitan Library.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio astronaut Neil Armstrong was the talk of the world 55 years ago