Neil Armstrong
That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.
Biographical Information
- Neil Alden Armstrong
- He was born on August 5, 1930
- He died on August 25, 2012
- Born in Auglaize County, Ohio
- Settled in Wapakoneta at age 13
- He had a sister named June
- He had a brother named Dean
Coming of Age
Neil Armstrong’s determination and love for flight as a child and young adult have shaped him into the legend he is today. He has always had a love for flight. The article Neil A. Armstrong: Biography states, "His curiosity about airplanes was aroused at age two when his father took him to the National Air Races in Cleveland, Ohio" ("Neil A. Armstrong: Biography"). Then when he was 6 his love for airplanes grew. His dad took him on his first plane ride in a Ford Tri-Motor, a "Tin Goose". After this experience he was completely obsessed! According to the article Neil A. Armstrong: Biography, "Armstrong built many model airplanes, conducted experiments with a home-built wind tunnel, and read many books and magazines about planes" ("Neil A. Armstrong: Biography").
Armstrong was so determined. At age 15 he started flying lessons! By the time he was 16 he got his student pilot's license! Even before he got his driver’s license! In 1947 he enrolled at Purdue University on a Navy scholarship. He started studying aeronautical engineering. But in 1949 he was called for the navy and had to go to Korea and was pilot. He flew 78 combat missions while he was there and got 3 medals for his service. He finally returned to Purdue in 1952. He went on to get his bachelor's degree in 1955. After college he started working at NASA. He worked as an engineer, test pilot, astronaut, and administrator. His first space flight was in 1966 on the Gemini 8 with David R. Scott. With all his hard work and persistency he became a legend.
Analysis
One of the events that impacted Neil Armstrong the most was when he went on his first plane ride at age 6. He was never the same after that. Just about everything he did had to do with planes! This passion, curiosity, and determination led Armstrong to success. However, the thing that impacted him the most was his parents. His parents really supported his love for planes! They were the ones that took him on the plane ride when he was a little kid. They let him conduct experiments with model airplanes and let him take flying lessons. His parents were a huge part his success and are one of the reasons that he became a legend.
Work Cited
Hansen, James R. "Armstrong, Neil Alden." World Book Student. Chicago: World Book, n.d. N. pag. World Book Student. Web. 7 Apr. 2014. <http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar031060&st=neil+armstrong>.
"Neil A. Armstrong: Biography." Ohio Historical Society. N.p.: n.p., 1988. N. pag. SIRS Discoverer. Web. 8 Apr. 2014. <http://discoverer.prod.sirs.com/discoweb/disco/do/article?urn=urn%3Asirs%3AUS%3BARTICLE%3BART%3B0000027770>.
"Neil Armstrong Air & Space Museum." Art Com. Art Emotion, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2014. <http://webpath.follettsoftware.com/resource/viewurl?encodedUrl=uKTjlRztqVUIBPV1MaCsRiIPi2_HPNbdBDTscmpOQ0c&version=1&appsignature=Destiny&appversion=11.0.4.2+%28AU2%29>.