Buzz Aldrin Turns 85: A Look Back at a Remarkable Life
Buzz Aldrin Turns 85: A Look Back at a Remarkable Life
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"One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" were the first words spoken on the moon by Neil Armstrong who can be seen in the reflection of Aldrin's helmet. There are actually no good photos of Armstrong while on the moon because he was the one holding the camera most of the time.Neil Armstrong—AP
Edwin Eugene Aldrin, Jr. was born on Jan. 20, 1930 in Glen Ridge, N.J.Courtesy of Buzz AldrinAs a child, Aldrin's little sister mispronounced the word 'brother' as 'buzzer'. The nickname stuck, and the Aldrin family shortened it to Buzz. Aldrin would later have his name legally changed to Buzz in 1988.Courtesy of Buzz AldrinAldrin played center for Montclair High School's football team which went undefeated in 1946.Courtesy of Buzz AldrinAldrin attended college at West Point, graduating third in his class in 1951.Courtesy of Buzz AldrinThe first Aldrin nuptials wouldn't be the last. Aldrin married Joan Archer on Dec. 29, 1954. He would go on to marry two more times, to Beverly Van Zile in 1975 and Lois Driggs Cannon in 1988.Courtesy of Buzz AldrinIn 1951, Aldrin joined the U.S. Air Force as a Second Lieutenant. He would go on to fly F-86 Sabre Jets in 66 combat missions during Korean War.Courtesy of Buzz AldrinAldrin left the Air Force to earn a Ph.D. in aeronautics and astronautics at MIT. Post-graduation in October of 1963, he was chosen by NASA to be part of the third group of astronauts who would pioneer space flight.Courtesy of Buzz AldrinAs part of their NASA mission training for Gemini 12 Aldrin along with fellow astronauts Charles Bassett and Theodore Freeman trained underwater and in weightless environments to simulate space conditions. Ralph Morse—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesDuring the Gemini 12 expedition Aldrin spent two hours and 20 minutes outside of the spacecraft completing maintenance tasks and demonstrating the feasibility of extravehicular activity in space. here he is seen during mission training.APThere were three spacewalks completed during the Gemini 12 mission along with various scientific experiments, including a test to see how a frog egg grows in zero gravity environment. Here Aldrin explains a docking maneuver to the media.Courtesy of Buzz AldrinBuzz Aldrin claims to have taken the first 'space selfie' during a spacewalk in Nov. 1966. However, a few months earlier in July 1966 during the Gemini 10 mission Astronaut Michael Collins also snapped a selfie, however he was inside of the space capsule. NASAGemini 12 splashed down in the in the western Atlantic Ocean on Nov. 15, 1966, 4.8 kilometers from its original target. Aldrin and mission commander Jim Lovell addressed the media and crew on the deck of the recovery ship.Courtesy of Buzz AldrinAldrin has two sons and one daughter. A few days after his return to Earth from Gemini 12, he was reunited with his family at the Space Center in Houston on Nov. 19, 1966. APOne of Aldrin's many interests is pole vaulting, and he even had a practice pit in his backyard in Houston.Lee Balterman—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty ImagesAldrin was selected as one of three astronauts on Apollo 11 and became the 2nd man to step foot on the moon in 1969. This mission effectively ended the Space Race and fulfilled a national goal proposed in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy. A rehearsal moonscape was built in Houston so Armstrong and Aldrin could practice their various lunar tasks. Courtesy of Buzz AldrinThe Apollo 11 mission consisted of Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins and Lunar Module Pilot, Buzz Aldrin. All three of the crew members had been on a previous space flight, making this only the 2nd all-veteran crew in spaceflight history.Courtesy of Buzz AldrinIn case one of the astronauts fell sick there were designated back-ups who would carry out the mission in their place if necessary. Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Deke Slayton, and Buzz are sen here at the prelaunch breakfast along with back-up crew-member Bill Anders.Courtesy of Buzz AldrinApollo 11 was launched by a Saturn V rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Fla. on July 16, 1969 where it became the fifth manned mission of NASA's Apollo program.Courtesy of Buzz Aldrin"One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" were the first words spoken on the moon by Neil Armstrong who can be seen in the reflection of Aldrin's helmet. There are actually no good photos of Armstrong while on the moon because he was the one holding the camera most of the time. Neil Armstrong—APAldrin, who was at the time an elder at the Webster Presbyterian Church in Webster, Texas, privately took communion while on the moon. Aldrin wrote about the experience in Guideposts magazine stating "It was interesting to think that the very first liquid ever poured on the moon, and the first food eaten there, were communion elements."Getty ImagesThe crew successfully splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969. Upon their return to earth they were put under mandatory quarantine in case they had contracted pathogens from the lunar surface. Getty ImagesAldrin and his Apollo 11 crew-mates were greeted with a hero's welcome and rode in parades in their honor in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.Fred Bunch—APBuzz Aldrin with Muhammad Ali and Arnold Schwarzenegger.Courtesy of Buzz AldrinThe Apollo 11 crew met President Ronald Reagan in 1984 on the 15th anniversary of their lunar landing. Courtesy of Buzz AldrinBuzz Aldrin met President Bill Clinton and his daughter Chelsea Clinton at an informal event.Courtesy of Buzz AldrinAldrin has authored and co-authored numerous books, including his latest, titled 'Mission to Mars,' which was published in May of 2013.Manuel Balce Ceneta—AP Buzz Aldrin's name was used as the inspiration for the 'Toy Story' character Buzz Lightyear. He says he has never received any endorsement fees or royalties for use of his name. Garth Vaughan—APOne of Aldrin's lifelong interests is underwater exploration and scuba diving. It is the "closest thing to weightlessness in space" Aldrin has said. Here he is seen htching a ride on a whale shark in the Galapagos Islands in June 2010.Andy Aldrin—Courtesy of Buzz AldrinIn 2009, President Barack Obama signed legislation conferring the Congressional Gold Medal upon Aldrin and his Apollo 11 crew-mates, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins.Luis M. Alvarez—APThroughout his life Aldrin has been presented with many awards and achievements. Here he is seen accepting the "Lifetime Achievement" at the 10th Steiger Awards in Hattingen, Germany, on Oct. 3, 2014.Henning Kaiser—dpa/CorbisAldrin frequently speaks to students about his experiences as an astronaut. He is seen here taking to students from the Madison and Orange Boys and Girls Clubs on Nov. 7, 2014, in Culpeper, Va.Peter Cihelka—AP
