The Crew of Apollo 11

Buzz Alrdin NAME: Buzz Aldrin OCCUPATION: Astronaut BIRTH DATE: January 20, 1930 PLACE OF BIRTH: Montclair, New Jersey Originally: Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr.

His earned his nickname, "Buzz," in childhood: His little sister mispronounced the word "brother" as "buzzer," and his family shortened the nickname to "Buzz." In 1947, Buzz graduated from Montclair High School in Montclair, New Jersey, and headed to West Point Military Academy in New York. He graduated third in his class in 1951 with a BS in mechanical engineering. Buzz entered the United States Air Force in 1951 and flew in the Korean war. In 1966, Aldrin and astronaut Jim Lovell were assigned to the Gemini 12 crew. During their November 11 to November 15, 1966, space flight, Aldrin made a five-hour spacewalk—the longest and most successful spacewalk ever done up to that time. Buzz, along with flight commander Neil Armstrong, made the historic Apollo 11 moonwalk, becoming the first two humans to set foot on another planet. They spent a total of 21 hours on the moon's surface, and returned with 46 pounds of moon rocks. http://www.biography.com/people/buzz-aldrin-9179894?page=2

Michael Collins NAME:Michael Collins OCCUPATION: Astronaut BIRTH DATE: October 31, 1930 EDUCATION:West Point, St. Albans School PLACE OF BIRTH: Rome, Italy

Michael was born in Rome, Italy, where his father, United States Army Major General James Lawton Collins, was stationed. After the United States entered World War II, the family moved to Washington, D.C. In 1952, Collins graduated from West Point Military Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree. Collins entered the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School as the Air Force began to research space. In 1963 he was chosen by NASA to be part of the third group of astronauts. Collins made two spaceflights. The first, on July 18, 1966, was the Gemini 10 mission, where Collins performed a spacewalk. The second was the Apollo 11 mission on July 20, 1969—the first lunar landing in history. Collins, accompanied by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, remained in the Command Module while his partners walked on the planet. Collins continued circling the Moon until July 21, when Armstrong and Aldrin rejoined him.

Neil Armstrong NAME:Neil Armstrong OCCUPATION: Astronaut, Explorer, Pilot BIRTH DATE: August 05, 1930 DEATH DATE:August 25, 2012 EDUCATION: Purdue University, University of Cincinnati PLACE OF BIRTH: Wapakoneta, Ohio

Astronaut Neil Armstrong developed a fascination with flight at an early age and earned his student pilot's license when he was 16. As a U.S. Navy pilot, Armstrong flew 78 combat missions during the Korean War. He joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), which later became the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Armstrong joined the astronaut program in 1963 and served as the command pilot for his first mission, Gemini VIII. Serving as the mission's commander, Armstrong piloted the Lunar Module, Apollo 11 to the moon's surface on July 20, 1969. At 10:56 PM, Armstrong exited the Lunar Module. He said, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," as he made his famous first step on the moon.

Collins, Armstrong and Aldrin were all awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Richard Nixon.