Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) was an American astronaut, aerospace engineer, and aviator, universally known as the first person to walk on the Moon. Before joining the NASA astronaut corps in 1962, he served as a naval aviator in the United States Navy during the Korean War and later worked as a test pilot for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. His first space mission was as commander of Gemini 8 in 1966, during which he successfully performed the first docking of two spacecraft in orbit. His historic milestone was achieved on July 20, 1969, when, as commander of the Apollo 11 mission, he stepped onto the lunar surface, uttering the famous words: "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." After leaving NASA, he dedicated himself to teaching and the private sector. For his outstanding contributions, he received the highest American civilian awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, and the Congressional Gold Medal.