Neil Armstrong, born on August 5, 1930, has now died on August 25, 2012. Armstrong was a Naval pilot in the Korean War; he later became a top-notch test pilot, and over time shifted into the space program. It's said that he was being groomed by NASA to become the first civilian astronaut -- at least, this was common speculation at the time -- but Valentina Tereshkova beat him to that honor; instead he went on to become an important part of the Gemini and Apollo programs. And, of course, he was selected to become the first man to walk on the moon in the Apollo 11 mission, which he flew with Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin.
How high dreams went then, and how far away they seem now. But Armstrong's achievements will always stand as a sign of just how much can be done.
