| Years |
Age |
Events |
| 1930 |
0 |
Born on August 5 in Wapakoneta, Ohio |
| 1947 |
17 |
Graduates from Blume High School |
| 1949 |
19 |
Enters Purdue University, studies aeronautical engineering; joins the U.S. Navy as a midshipman |
| 1950 |
20 |
Commissioned as an ensign, becomes a naval aviator |
| 1951-1952 |
21 |
Serves in the Korean War, flying 78 combat missions |
| 1952 |
22 |
Released from active duty, returns to Purdue |
| 1955 |
25 |
Graduates from Purdue with a B.S. in aeronautical engineering |
| 1955-1962 |
25 |
Joins NACA (later NASA) as a test pilot at Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory, then transfers to High-Speed Flight Station |
| 1956 |
26 |
Marries Janet Shearon |
| 1957 |
27 |
Birth of their first child, Eric |
| 1958 |
28 |
Starts flying the X-15, a rocket-powered aircraft |
| 1959 |
29 |
Birth of their daughter, Karen |
| 1960 |
30 |
Continues test piloting, including X-15 flights |
| 1961 |
31 |
Karen dies of a brain tumor |
| 1962 |
32 |
Selected as one of the second group of NASA astronauts |
| 1963 |
33 |
Birth of their second son, Mark |
| 1964 |
34 |
Serves as backup command pilot for Gemini 5 |
| 1965 |
35 |
Serves as backup command pilot for Gemini 5 |
| 1966 |
36 |
Commands Gemini 8, performs the first manual space docking |
| 1967 |
37 |
Selected as commander for Apollo 11 |
| 1968 |
38 |
Trains for the Apollo 11 mission; forced to eject from the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle |
| 1969 |
39 |
Apollo 11 mission, first moon landing on July 20; awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom |
| 1970 |
40 |
Resigns from NASA; awarded Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy |
| 1971-1979 |
41 |
Professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Cincinnati |
| 1978 |
48 |
Awarded Congressional Space Medal of Honour |
| 1979-1982 |
49 |
Vice president of engineering at Teledyne Ryan |
| 1982-1992 |
52 |
Chairman of the board of directors at Computing Technologies for Aviation |
| 1994 |
64 |
Divorces Janet |
| 1999 |
69 |
Marries Carol Held Knight |
| 2012 |
82 |
Dies on August 25 in Cincinnati, Ohio |
