NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin celebrated his 90th birthday on Monday, sharing the occasion with a Twitter message to his 1.5-million followers. He made history as 600-million people watched Apollo 11 crew mate Neil Armstrong become the first two humans to set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969. Read more for a video looking back at the historic mission and additional information.
Aldrin was born January 20, 1930, and grew up in Montclair, New Jersey. He joined the famous Apollo 11 crew because of his specialized study of rendezvous, due to his U.S. Air Force service, which began in 1951, where he became a fighter pilot and flew in 66 combat missions in Korea. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service in the Korean War. Once his tour wrapped, he went on to get a doctorate of science in astronautics at MIT, which led him to the career that would make him one of the most recognized figures in history.
- National Geographic
- Hardcover Book
- Aldrin, Buzz (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 224 Pages - 04/05/2016 (Publication Date) - National Geographic (Publisher)
Today is a special day.
When asked for my birth date, I chuckle and say 1-20-30.
Now, after circling the sun for 90 years, today is 1-2020. I came into this world in NJ on 1-20-30, and my mother was Marion Moon Aldrin and my father Edwin Aldrin.
Here’s to 1-2025!— Buzz Aldrin (@TheRealBuzz) January 20, 2020