Charles "Pete" Conrad (1930-1999) was the third person, after Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, to walk on the moon's surface. In November, 1969, he and Alan Bean made the second moon landing in history in their Apollo 12 lunar module Intrepid.

Conrad was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 2, 1930, to a wealthy stockbroker. He attended Princeton University, graduating in 1953 with a degree in aeronautical engineering. After college, Conrad joined the U.S. Navy and became a pilot. He later transferred to the test pilot school at Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland, a proving ground for many future astronauts, including Wally Schirra and James Lovell.

A Space Pioneer

When the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) made its selection of the "Mercury Seven" astronauts in 1959, Conrad jumped at the chance to become one of the first Americans in space. He made it to the final rounds of selection, but...