18 Things You Didn't Know About Buzz Aldrin

Buzz Aldrin was born January 20, 1930.Edwin Eugene Aldrin, Jr.His name "Buzz" came from his sister, who said "brother" as "buzzer." The shortened name stuck with the family. Aldrin legally changed his name in 1988.

Marion Aldrin was born in a year that was either a sign of the future or just a coincidence.Marion MoonSadly,she committed suicide in 1968, one year before her son went to the moon.She was Marion Moon in 1968, one year before her son went to the moon.

Aldrin attended the United States Military Academy at West Point starting in 1947.He started in 1947.He eventuallyattended MITin the early '60s, earning his doctorate in astronautics in 1963.

After graduating from West Point in 1951, Aldrin became a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force.He served as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force.He flew 66 combat missions in an F-86 Sabre jet fighter while assigned to Korea.He flew the F-86 Sabre jet fighter.He shot down two MiG 15 fighters and earned several medals.

Aldrin focused his entire post-war career on becoming an astronaut, including his doctoral thesis at MIT.He included his doctoral thesis at MIT.He was called "Line-of-sight guidance techniques for manned orbital rendezvous." But Aldrin was rejected from the astronaut corps after his first application because he lacked test pilot experience, which was a requirement.When that requirement was lifted, Aldrin was accepted into the third group of astronauts.He was the third group of astronauts..

The Apollo 11 flight where Aldrin and Armstrong walked on the moon was Aldrin's second trip to space.Aldrin was assigned toHe piloted Gemini 12 in 1966., the final Gemini mission, where he set a NASA record for time spent in space during an EVA.

Neil Armstrong became the first human on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission, but Buzz Aldrin wanted that distinction for himself.He wanted the distinction.NASA protocol meant the less senior officer went first on a spacewalk, letting the commander stay inside if things went wrong.

Some sources claim both Aldrin and NASA wanted Aldrin out first, leaving Armstrong inside. However, positioning inside the lunar module made it impossible for Aldrin to exit first; Armstrong was closer to the door.

As the second person to walk on the moon, Aldrin held several "firsts." He led the first lunar religious service,He took communion.using a kit from his Houston home church, where Aldrin served as an elder.

Along with Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin became the first person to eat on the moon when he ateham-salad sandwiches.He ate dehydrated snacks upon landing. Finally, he became the first man to everurinate on the moon, relieving himself in his spacesuit—while hundreds of millions watched.on the moon, relieving himself in his spacesuit—while hundreds of millions watched.

When Armstrong and Aldrin landed Apollo 11 on the moon, they faced several problems. They dealt with many issues.They overshot their landing spot.Aldrin nearly landed in a rock field, avoiding them in a move that nearly burned all their fuel. When launching the lunar module to leave the moon and rejoin the command module, Aldrin saw the ascent engine switch was broken.

If they could not fire the engines, they would stay on the moon until someone rescued them—or never. Luckily, AldrinAldrin thought fast.and used a felt-tipped pen to fix the circuit and fire the engines.

Aldrin left NASA in 1971.He retired from the Air Force in 1972. Aldrin took a civilian management job with the Air Force, butAldrin struggled.fame stressed him. He drank a lot and suffered depression; his marriage ended soon after retirement. He later remarried and worked as aAldrin was a car salesman in Beverly Hills.—but he never sold many cars.

After drinking too much, AldrinAldrin got sober in 1978.and has had a good personal and work life since then.

Aldrin has written several memoirs.Aldrin has written several memoirs.These include Return to Earth.Aldrin wrote Return to Earth.Aldrin wrote it in 1973, and Magnificent Desolation.Aldrin wrote Magnificent Desolation.in 2009. These books detail the moon missions and the struggles he faced after returning and becoming a major celebrity. He also wrote manyAldrin wrote science-fiction novels., and spoke up for further space exploration.While Aldrin

wore an Omega watchAldrin wore an Omega watch.sued Toppsafter the company issued trading cards with his image and refused to agree on a licensing fee.Since Apollo 11, Aldrin has had a second career acting in various films and TV shows. His screen credits (always as himself) include:

Since Apollo 11, Aldrin has played himself in various films and TV series.Simpsons, Space Ghost, 30 Rock, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Aldrin appeared in Simpsons, Space Ghost, 30 Rock, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, and The Big Bang Theory.The Big Bang TheoryAldrin appeared in The Big Bang Theory.Dancing with the Starsin 2010.Aldrin appeared in the film in 2010.

Aldrin is a Freemason, like many high-ranking military officers, and is very active in his lodge. Aldrin is a 33rd degree Mason with membership in Clear Lake Lodge #1417 of Texas. Aldrin is in Clear Lake Lodge #1417.Clear Lake Lodge #1417 is in Texas.

On September 9, 2002, Aldrin faced Bart Sibrel in a Beverly Hills hotel. Sibrel, a filmmaker and moon landing denier, demanded Aldrin swear on a Bible that the moon landings were not fake. After Sibrel called Aldrin a coward and a liar, Aldrin responded by.Aldrin responded by confronting Bart Sibrel, a filmmaker and moon landing denier, in a Beverly Hills hotel on September 9, 2002. Sibrel demanded Aldrin swear on a Bible that the moon landings weren't fake. Sibrel called Aldrin a coward and a liar; Aldrin then responded.—which was recorded on tape.The UFO community viewed Aldrin as an ally after a 2005 Science Channel interview where he seemed to claim he saw an alien ship outside the Apollo 11 window. Aldrin later claimed his comments were taken out of context, and that the 2005 interview made him say something he did not.

The UFO community saw Aldrin as an ally after a 2005 Science Channel interview. In that interview, Aldrin appeared to claim he saw an alien ship outside the window of Apollo 11. Aldrin later claimed his comments were taken out of context, stating the 2005 interview made him say something he did not.

Aldrin was actually claimingwhat he was actually claiming.Aldrin did not claim to see a UFO outside Apollo 11. He saw an object that looked like a detached adapter panel. Because he could not be certain, he called it an "unidentified flying object," not an alien ship.

Aldrin wrote a book.Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration.This book shows Aldrin's plan for how NASA could launch a crewed mission to Mars. NASA does not share this vision. Aldrin alsoCritics criticized it.Aldrin criticized the Obama administration regarding the NASA Asteroid Redirect Mission. This mission plans to catch a near-Earth asteroid and return it to Earth for study.