He took flying lessons at the age of 15 and received his pilot’s license on his 16th birthday.Ī US Navy aviator, he flew 78 missions in the Korean War. will never die.”īorn in Wapakoneta, Ohio on August 5, 1930, Mr Armstrong had an early fascination with aircraft and worked at a nearby airport when he was a teenager. “His example of service, accomplishment and modesty. Mr Collins, in a statement released by a NASA spokesman, said of Mr Armstrong: “He was the best, and I will miss him terribly.”Īustralian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the astronaut’s death “marks the end of an amazing era in human progress.” “Whenever I look at the moon, it reminds me of the moment over four decades ago when I realized that even though we were farther away from Earth than two humans had ever been, we were not alone,” Mr Aldrin said. Mr Aldrin said he had hoped that he, Armstrong and Michael Collins, the third astronaut on the mission, would have met up in 2019 for celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11. Humanity has gained a legend,” Mr Boehner said.
Republican House Speaker John Boehner remembered Armstrong as a “true hero.” His “legacy will endure - sparked by a man who taught us the enormous power of one small step,” said President Obama, who was just under eight years old at the time of the historic Apollo 11 mission. “He was a humble person, and that’s the way he remained after his lunar flight, as well as before.”Ī “deeply saddened” President Barack Obama yesterday hailed Mr Armstrong as “the greatest of American heroes - not just of his time, but of all time.” “He didn’t feel that he should be out huckstering himself,” the former Ohio senator told CNN.
John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, recalled Armstrong’s legendary humility. Mr Armstrong even stopped signing memorabilia after learning his autographs were being sold at exorbitant prices. The Eagle has landed.”īut the lunar pioneer, who was decorated by 17 countries and received a slew of US honors, was never comfortable with his worldwide fame, shying away from the limelight. The estimated 500 million people who watched the grainy black and white broadcast breathed a sigh of relief when Mr Armstrong told mission control the module had landed safely, saying: “Houston, Tranquility base here. His first words upon stepping on the lunar surface have since been etched in history: “That’s one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind.” Mr Armstrong and fellow Apollo 11 astronaut Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin landed on the moon’s desolate surface on July 20, 1969. Praising Mr Armstrong as a “reluctant American hero,” his heartbroken relatives expressed hope his legacy would encourage young people to “work hard to make their dreams come true, to be willing to explore and push the limits and to selflessly serve a cause greater than themselves.” Mr Armstrong, who inspired a generation to reach for the stars, underwent cardiac bypass surgery earlier this month after doctors found blockages in his coronary arteries, but he died following subsequent complications.
WASHINGTON // The first man to set foot on the moon, renowned US astronaut Neil Armstrong, has died, his family announced yesterday, prompting glowing tributes to his achievements and notably humble character.