Why is Neil Armstrong famous?

Find out more about the history of Neil Armstrong, including videos, interesting articles, pictures, historical features and more. Get all the facts on HISTORY.com. read more

Neil Armstrong is an American astronaut who is famous for being the first man to walk on the moon. On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong took a step off the lunar landing module and became the first man to walk on the moon, collect samples and take photographs. read more

Neil Armstrong American astronaut Neil Armstrong suiting up before the launch of Gemini 8 from Cape Kennedy (now Cape Canaveral), Florida, March 1966. NASA (S66-24446) Moon landing. On July 16, 1969, Armstrong, along with Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., and Michael Collins, blasted off in the Apollo 11 vehicle toward the Moon (see Apollo program). read more