Neil Armstrong: Life of an American hero

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Neil Armstrong: Life of an American hero

A look at some of the iconic images of Neil Armstrong through the years.

376713 12: (FILE PHOTO) Astronaut Neil Armstrong smiles inside the Lunar Module July 20, 1969. The 30th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing mission is celebrated July 20, 1999. (Photo by NASA/Newsmakers/Getty Images)

376713 09: (FILE PHOTO) The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has named these three astronauts as the prime crew of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission. Left to right, are Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, command module pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot. The 30th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon mission is celebrated July 20, 1999. (Photo by NASA/Newsmakers)

Photo shows Neil A. Armstrong, on April 17, 1964?. when he was an X15 pilot. (AP Photo)

12th November 1969: Neil Armstrong, American Lunar Astronaut giving a press interview. (Photo by Ronald Dumont/Express/Getty Images)

19th August 1963: American astronaut Neil Armstrong peers from a makeshift tent in Nevada during an intensive three day desert training course for future space travellers. He later became the first man on the moon. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)

Neil Armstrong, Commander of the space ship Apollo 11, speaking to a technician during a suiting at the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida, shortly before he set off for the Moon with fellow astronauts Michael Collins and Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)

Apollo II Lunar Module Pilot, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, front, and spacecraft Commander Neil Armstrong, rear, practice lunar surface activities at the Manned Spacecraft Center, April 18, 1969, Houston, Tex. Aldrin is using a scoop to collect samples of the surface while Armstrong takes pictures the Lunar Module in the background. The astronauts are in space suits. Breathing oxygen, pressurization temperature controls are provided by the backpack. Apollo II, scheduled for launch on July 16, the first U.S. space mission designed to put two astronauts on the Moon and return safely to Earth. (AP Photo/NASA)

Astronaut Neil Armstrong in space suit in 1969. (AP Photo)

23rd June 1968: Crew of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission (left to right) Commander Neil Armstrong, command module pilot Michael Collins and lunar module pilot, Edwin Aldrin Jnr. Taken at the Manned Spacecraft Centre, Houston, Texas. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)

Astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and David R. Scott arrive, March 16, 1966 at Complex 19 for a simulated test in preparation for flight. (AP Photo)

376713 18: (FILE PHOTO) With a half-Earth in the background, the Lunar Module ascent stage with Moon-walking Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin Jr. approaches for a rendezvous with the Apollo Command Module manned by Michael Collins. The Apollo 11 liftoff from the Moon came early, ending a 22-hour stay on the Moon by Armstrong and Aldrin. The 30th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon mission is celebrated July 20, 1999. (Photo by NASA/Newsmakers)

Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong, right, trudges across the surface of the moon leaving behind footprints, July 20, 1969. The U.S. flag, planted on the surface by the astronauts, can be seen between Armstrong and the lunar module. Edwin E. Aldrin is seen closer to the craft. The men reported the surface of the moon was like soft sand and they left footprints several inches deep wherever they walked. (AP Photo)

376713 01: (FILE PHOTO) Neil Armstrong steps into history July 20, 1969 by leaving the first human footprint on the surface of the moon. The 30th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon mission is celebrated July 20, 1999. (Photo by NASA/Newsmakers)

376713 20: (FILE PHOTO) The deployment of scientific experiments by Astronaut Edwin Aldrin Jr. is photographed by Astronaut Neil Armstrong. Man's first landing on the Moon occurred July 20, 1969 as Lunar Module "Eagle" touched down gently on the Sea of Tranquility on the east side of the Moon. The 30th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon mission is celebrated July 20, 1999. (Photo by NASA/Newsmakers)

** FILE ** In this July 20, 1969 file photo, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, the first men to land on the moon, plant the U.S. flag on the lunar surface. (AP Photo/NASA)

376713 16: (FILE PHOTO) One of the few photographs of Neil Armstrong on the moon shows him working on his space craft on the lunar surface. The 30th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing mission is celebrated July 20, 1999. (Photo by NASA/Newsmakers)

Astronauts David R. Scott, pilot, left, and Neil A. Armstrong, command pilot, sit in their Gemini 8 spacecraft after their emergency landing at 10:23 p.m. in the western Pacific Ocean, March 16, 1966. Navy divers, who jumped into the ocean to attach flotation collar under the spacecraft, stand outside the capsule awaiting the destroyer USS Mason. The scheduled three-day mission was terminated following complications. The mission objective of rendezvous and dock with the Gemini Agena target vehicle (GATV) was accomplished. (AP Photo/NASA)

30Th Anniversary Of Apollo 11 Landing On The Moon (10 Of 20): U.S. Navy Pararescueman Lt. Clancey Hatleberg Disinfects Apollo 11 Astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins And Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. After Getting Into The Life Raft During Recovery Operations Today At The Completion Of Their Successful Lunar Landing Mission. The Space Pilots Donned Biological Isolation Garments In Their Spacecraft. The Lm (Lunar Module) Landed On The Moon On July 20, 1969 And Returned To The Command Module On July 21. The Command Module Left Lunar Orbit On July 22 And Returned To Earth On July 24, 1969. Apollo 11 Splashed Down In The Pacific Ocean On 24 July 1969 At 12:50:35 P.M. Edt After A Mission Elapsed Time Of 195 Hrs, 18 Mins, 35 Secs. (Photo By Nasa/Getty Images)

24th July 1969: President Richard M Nixon (1913 - 1994) addresses Astronauts (from left to right) Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin, in their Mobile Quarantine Facility aboard the USS Hornet. The astronauts were recovered from the Pacific Ocean on July 24 near Hawaii, after the first successful manned space flight to the moon. They will remain in quarantine for three weeks. (Photo by NASA/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Astronaut Neil Armstrong, sitting atop a convertible, greets a hometown folk as he arrives at the Wapakoneta High School to start a round of homecoming festivities on Sept. 6, 1969. Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, was born in a farm house just outside Wapakoneta, Ohio. (AP Photo)

376713 25: (File Photo) The December 1969 Cover Of National Geographic Depicts The Famous Photograph Of Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin Taken By Neil Armstrong On The Surface Of The Moon. The 30Th Anniversary Of The Apollo 11 Moon Landing Mission Is Celebrated July 20, 1999. (Photo By Getty Images)

KILL DEVIL HILLS, NC - DECEMBER 16: Former astronauts Neil Armstrong (L) and Buzz Aldrin (R) attend a presentation honoring 100 aviation heroes at the Wright Brothers Memorial December 16, 2003 in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. A re-enactment of the Wright Brothers' first flight is planned for December 17 as the finale of the centennial celebration. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

CINCINNATI - APRIL 18: Former astronaut Neil Armstrong receives the NASA Ambassadors of Exploration award April 18, 2006 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Armstrong, who in 1969 became the first person to walk on the moon as commander of the Apollo 11 mission, was honored with the award which recognizes the sacrifices and dedication of astronauts and others who were part of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs. Armstrong's award will be displayed at the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal. (Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images)

Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon waves to the crowd at a historic gathering of 19 of the astronauts who call Ohio home on Friday, Aug. 29, 2008 in Cleveland. The gathering of Ohio astronauts is part of NASA's 50th Anniversary celebration. (AP Photo/Jason Miller)

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 22: Astronaut Neil Armstrong, commander of Apollo 11, testifies before the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee about human space flight on Capitol Hill September 22, 2011 in Washington, DC. Last week NASA unveiled their new heavy-lift rocket system that will put humans into space with a command capsule that is already under development. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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376713 12: (FILE PHOTO) Astronaut Neil Armstrong smiles inside the Lunar Module July 20, 1969. The 30th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing mission is celebrated July 20, 1999. (Photo by NASA/Newsmakers/Getty Images)

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