Neil Armstrong Remembered One Year After His Death

On Sunday, individuals throughout the world paid tribute to Neil Armstrong in light of the anniversary of the astronaut's death last year.

Armstrong became the first human to set foot on another world on July 20, 1969 during the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon and played a pivotal role in the development of NASA.

"The whole world knew Neil as the first man to step foot on the Moon, but to us he was a co-worker, a friend, and an outstanding spokesman for the Human Space Program," former astronaut and Director of the Johnson Space Center Michael Coats said at the time of Armstrong's death. "His quiet confidence and ability to perform under pressure set an example for all subsequent astronauts. Our role model will be missed."

Armstrong was so level-headed, in fact, that an EKG taken the moment Armstrong first set foot on the Moon revealed even in that pivotal moment, the astronaut remained calm.

"It was really slow on the way down, while Aldrin's was racing," Gerald Schaber, the one tasked with monitoring Armstrong's heartbeat at the time, told The Guardian. "But that was typical of Neil. Just like the first thing he really said was, 'Houston, we have engine shut down here,' really calmly. Mission control told him to speak again. It was then he said, 'The eagle has landed' for the TV networks. He was just that cool."

Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio in 1930 and went on to earn an aeronautical engineering degree from Purdue University and a master's in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California. He served as a naval aviator from 1949 to 1952, flying 78 combat missions during the Korean War and later joining NASA's predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.

There he worked as a research project test pilot, putting him on the "forefront of the development of many high-speed aircraft," according to a NASA statement.

Selected as an astronaut in 1962, his first spaceflight was Gemini 8, during which he performed, along with fellow astronaut David R. Scott, the first docking in space. Armstrong's cool head was quickly put to the test, however, as the spacecraft at one point began rolling, reaching one revolution per second after one of its thrusters became stuck open due to an electrical short circuit. After a 30-minute struggle, however, Armstrong successfully used reentry thrusters to gain control of the capsule.

Armstrong resigned from NASA in 1971, after which he served as a professor at the University of Cincinnati and later transitioned into business.

He died at the age of 82 following complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures.

According to his family, Armstrong was "a reluctant American hero who always believed he was just doing his job," adding that "while we mourn the loss of a very good man, we also celebrate his remarkable life and hope that it serves as an example to young people around the world to work hard to make their dreams come true, to be willing to explore and push the limits, and to selflessly serve a cause greater than themselves."