Buzz Aldrin Biography

Fast Facts

• Received the Presidential Medal for Freedom in 1969
• Received the Harmon International Trophy in 1967
• Won the Robert J․ Collier Trophy and the Robert H․ Goddard Memorial Trophy
• Earned his undergraduate degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1951 and went on to earn a doctorate of science in Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• While on duty in Korea, he flew 66 combat missions in F-86s
• Quote: "[on lunar landing] " I'd like to take this opportunity to ask every person listening in, whoever and wherever they may be, to pause for a moment and contemplate the events of the past few hours and to give thanks in his or her own way․""
• Logged over 250 hours in space with NASA, with almost 8 hours spent outside vehicles
• Served as lunar module pilot for Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing mission, and was the second man to walk on the moon
• Wrote an autobiography called "Return to Earth" and another book called "Men from Earth" about the Apollo Program
• Became President of Starcraft Enterprise, Laguna Beach, California