Neil Armstrong, First Man to Walk on the Moon, Has Died

AP
Connor Simpson 11,502 Views Aug 25, 2012

Neil Armstrong, one of the astronauts on Apollo 11 and the first man to ever step foot on the moon, has died at the age of 82, according to NBC News.

Armstrong had heart surgery about three weeks ago. Things were fine at first. Carol Armstrong, his wife, told NBC News he was "doing great" a few days after the surgery. But MSNBC reports today that his death was caused by a complication that arose from the surgery. 

If you're near a television, MSNBC and Fox News are doing special live reports. We'll update this post as we learn more.

Update: Armstrong was the commander of Apollo 11, and the first man to walk on the moon. "That's one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind," he said while stepping foot on the moon. He spent three hours exploring the surface of the moon with fellow astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

The New York Times' is passing around the article on the moon landing that appeared on July 21, 1969. The headline, "MEN WALK ON MOON," is one of the most famous front pages in history. The Onion even did an adoring retro front page mock-up of what they would have gone with. It's funny, but beware the bad language. 

"Next time you walk outside on clear night & see moon smiling down at you, think of Neil & give him a wink," the Armstrong family said in a statement.

This is video from the original broadcast of the moon landing: 

Here's to you, Neil. Enjoy your adventures in the next great beyond. 

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at connorbsimpson at gmail dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.

Related Articles   More by Connor Simpson

Sally Ride, First U.S. Woman in Space, Has Died at 61

'Jeffersons' Star Sherman Hemsley Has Died

Gore Vidal, Author, Essayist, and Playwright, Dead at 86

 

Tesla Is First Green Tech Company to Pay Back Its Department of Energy Loan

The Gruesome Details of London's Horrifying Machete Attack

Elsewhere on the Web

User Comments

Please type your comment and click Post. If you’re not already logged in you will be prompted to log in or register

  • The Atlantic Wire on Twitter
  • The Atlantic Wire RSS Feed
  • The Atlantic Wire iPhone App