No matter where space exploration and travel may take us in the future, Neil Armstrong will always have a special place in the history of flight into the unknown - on July 20, 1969, he became the first man to step on the moon, inspiring new generations of ambitious astronauts who are still pushing the boundaries of space exploration today. This year marks 50 years since Neil took "one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."
The fact that he was a NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong the first man to walk on the moon is probably known to almost every person in this world – this year, to be exact on July 20, we marked 50th anniversary of this important event, but there are still a lot of facts about this extraordinary man that you probably didn't know!
You probably don't know this about Neil Armstrong:
He could fly before he got his driving test.
As a 6-year-old boy, his father took him on trips in a Ford Trimotor plane - by the time Neil was 15, he already knew how to fly his father's plane, even if he didn't even have a car driver's license at the time.
That Armstrong and not Aldrin was the first to walk on the moon may just be a coincidence.
Together with Armstrong, the astronaut Buzz Aldrin also stepped on the moon, but only a few moments after Neil. The vessel's doors opened in such a way that Neil had first access to the exit.
Landing on the moon required more concentration from Armstrong.
On Earth, we laymen celebrated mainly that Armstrong walked on the moon - but the real challenge was landing safely on the lunar surface. There is no air resistance on the Moon like there is on Earth, so they had to use a lot of fuel to slow down the landing - supposedly enough for just one attempt.
Armstrong brought to earth a collection of moon rocks worth more than a million dollars.
On the moon, Armstrong collected rocks and dust in a bag - he had this collection in private possession until 2015, later the contents were sold for almost two million US dollars.
The Apollo 11 astronauts had to spend three weeks in quarantine.
The astronauts from Apollo 11 had to spend three weeks in quarantine before landing back on Earth - Such measures were necessary in case they brought with them any dangerous viruses that life on Earth is not immune to.
He became a professor at the university.
After retiring as an astronaut, Armstrong became a professor at the University of Cincinnati, where he taught mechanical engineering.
Hallmark sued.
Hallmark Company once used Armstrong's name for their advertising campaign, which caused him to later sue them.
Neil also tried his hand at acting - he appeared in an advertisement for the Chrysler brand.
He is said to have valued privacy and was reluctant to appear in public, with the exception of 1979, when he worked on a Super Bowl halftime ad for Chrysler.
