Buzz Aldrin, along with Neil Armstrong, became the first humans to land on the Moon.

American Astronaut and Engineer 1930-

On July 20, 1969, Edwin "Buzz"^* Aldrin and his fellow astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first humans to land on another world: Earth's Moon. This achievement is arguably the technological high-water mark of the twentieth century.

Aldrin's passion for exploration and quest for excellence and achievement began early in his life. Born on January 20, 1930, in Montclair, New Jersey, Aldrin received a bachelor of science degree from the U.S. Military Academy in 1951, graduating third in his class. After entering the U.S. Air Force, Aldrin earned his pilot wings in 1952.

As an F86 fighter pilot in the Korean War, Aldrin flew sixty-six combat missions. He later attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he wrote a thesis titled "Guidance for Manned Orbital Rendezvous." After his doctoral studies...