Neil Armstrong

On July 20, 1969 at 9:56 p.m., a step was taken 240,000 miles away from Earth. Two astronauts who had traveled three days in a rocket stepped foot on the moon, fulfilling a dream of humanity. Not only did this require a large amount of training for all the astronauts on the Apollo 11 mission, but quite a bit of bravery as well. Armstrong knew there was some chance of him not returning to Earth, to his family. Flying out into the great unknown of space is not an easy thing to do; it is beyond scary to be enveloped in darkness, 240,000 miles from home. Neil Armstrong is not a hero just because of his actions, but because he represents something bigger: humanity's curiosity and hope for greatness.

Neil Armstrong was born on August 5, 1930 in the town of Wapakoneta, Ohio. Fascinated with the idea of flight, he pursued aeronautical engineering at Purdue University. Before he could finish his education, he was drafted to serve in the Korean war as a Navy Pilot. He later joined an organization that would become NASA(National Aeronautics and Space Administration), serving mostly as a test pilot. In 1969, he accepted an offer to pilot the first manned mission to the moon. When he returned, he was celebrated as an American hero.

Neil Armstrong is a hero because of what he stood for, the bigger picture made him a hero. Space may be the final frontier for humans, but we will never stop being curious. It was the Neanderthals who never moved from their home of southern Europe that went extinct. Homo sapiens crossed seas and spread throughout the Earth, for no known reason other than curiosity. Yet, humans survived and thrived in nearly every environment. It is human inquisitiveness and bravery that drives society to this day. Neil Armstrong stood for these ideals, which makes him a hero.

The moon landing inspired many people, including myself, to strive for something greater. Not to just get by, but to excel beyond standards further than anyone thought possible. Armstrong did these very things, by piloting a mission to the moon less than a hundred years after the simple light bulb was invented. It is mind blowing to think about, how many people's efforts together can do such unbelievable things for humanity. I am personally influenced by the ideals of Armstrong, and hope to pursue a career in astrophysics or electrical engineering.

On that fateful day in 1969, Neil Armstrong became the hero of nearly every person in America for his bravery and ingenuity. He inspired a generation of men and women to not just to survive, but to thrive and pursue great things. He is my hero because of the things he stands for: curiosity and the success of the human race. I hope that there are people today that support Armstrong's ideals as I do, and seek to make change to push humanity forward. It was Neil Armstrong himself who said,"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."