Neil Alden Armstrong (1930- ) was a United States astronaut. He was the first person to set foot on the moon.

Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio. He was a Navy pilot from 1949 to 1952. Later, he tested new aircraft. He became an astronaut in 1962.

Image to right: Neil A. Armstrong was an American astronaut. He was the first person to set foot on the moon. Credit: NASA

After one space flight in 1966, Armstrong joined the Apollo 11 mission. On July 20, 1969, Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., landed the lunar module Eagle on the moon's surface. When Armstrong stepped onto the moon, he said, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

Armstrong received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969.