Eugene M. Shoemaker was a geologist whose research interests and expertise ranged far beyond Earth. Shoemaker studied impact craters (craters created by the collision of an asteroid or comet and a planet) on both Earth and the Moon, as well as searched for the comets and asteroids that could have caused the craters. He was a key figure in guiding the scientific exploration of the lunar surface during the 1960s. Intrigued by the study of craters in general, Shoemaker then turned his focus back to Earth and became a leader in studying the impact history of the planet.

Eugene Merle Shoemaker was born in Los Angeles on April 28, 1928, to George Estel and Muriel May Scott Shoemaker. His mother was a teacher, and his father at different times worked in teaching, business, farming, and for motion picture studios. The family moved to Oregon, New York, Wyoming, and finally back...