Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, has died according to multiple reports. He was 82.
A statement from his family said Armstrong died following complications from cardiovascular procedures, according to The Associated Press.
The famous astronaut recently had a heart-bypass surgery and also celebrated his 82nd birthday earlier this month.
Armstrong commanded the historic Apollo 11 spacecraft that landed on the moon on July 20, 1969. After stepping foot on moon’s surface Armstrong famously declared, “That’s one small step for a man, and one giant leap for mankind.”
Armstrong spent his nearly three hours on the moon collecting samples and taking photographs.
“The sights were simply magnificent, beyond any visual experience that I had ever been exposed to,” Armstrong reportedly once said.
That was his last mission into space.
The AP reported earlier this month that Armstrong’s wife, Carol Armstrong, said the former astronaut was “amazingly resilient” while recovering from surgery. She also stated that he was “on track with his rehab schedule.”
According to NBC, Armstrong and Carol married in 1999 and lived in a Cincinnati suburb.
Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio on August 5, 1930.
After traveling to space, Armstrong became Deputy Associate Administrator for Aeronautics at NASA.
He also spent eight years of his life in the 1970s as a professor at the University of Cincinnati.
-With Associated Press
