(#16) Aldrin Punched a Moon Landing Denier in the Face
On September 9, 2002, Aldrin was confronted in a Beverly Hills hotel by Bart Sibrel, a filmmaker and moon landing denier who demanded Aldrin swear on a Bible that the moon landings weren't fake. After Sibrel called Aldrin a coward and a liar, Aldrin responded by socking him in the jaw - which was caught on tape.
(#1) His Nickname Had Nothing to Do with a Haircut
Buzz Aldrin was born on January 20, 1930 as Edwin Eugene Aldrin, Jr. The name "Buzz" came from his sister, who mispronounced "brother" as "buzzer." The shortened version of that caught on with the family, and it stuck, so much so that Aldrin had his name legally changed in 1988.
(#18) He Hasn't Spared NASA from Criticism
Aldrin's book Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration lays out his vision for how NASA could launch a manned mission to the red planet - a vision NASA doesn't share. Aldrin also criticized the Obama administration for the NASA Asteroid Redirect Mission, which is intended to capture a near-earth asteroid and bring it back to earth for study.
"Bringing an asteroid back to Earth? What's that have to do with space exploration?" Aldrin asked in 2013. "If we were moving outward from there and an asteroid is a good stopping point, then fine. But now it's turned into a whole planetary defense exercise at the cost of our outward exploration."(#7) Aldrin Wanted to Be the First Man on the Moon
While Apollo 11 mission commander Neil Armstrong ended up being the first human being to set foot on the moon, Buzz Aldrin wanted the distinction for himself. NASA protocol up until that point was that the less senior officer on a mission would be the first one out on a spacewalk, allowing the commander to stay inside if something went wrong.
Various sources tell different stories, but both Aldrin and NASA apparently wanted Aldrin to come out first, leaving Armstrong inside to monitor Aldrin's walk. But positioning inside the lunar module made it impossible for Aldrin to get out first - Armstrong was the one closer to the door.
(#8) Aldrin Held the First Religious Ceremony on the Moon
As the second human being to walk on the moon, Aldrin is the holder of a number of "firsts" on the moon. He held the first lunar religious service, taking communion using a kit from his home church in Houston, where Aldrin was an elder.
The communion wasn't broadcast, and was kept a secret for many years, due to a lawsuit against NASA by a preeminent atheist who objected to religious readings in previous missions. Aldrin later said if he had to do it all over again, he might not have performed the communion ceremony.(#4) He Was a Combat Pilot in Korea
After graduating from West Point in 1951, Aldrin was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force. He was assigned to Korea, and flew 66 combat missions in an F-86 Sabre jet fighter. He shot down two MiG 15 fighters, and won a number of prestigious medals.
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Buzz Aldrin is a famous NASA astronaut for being the second person to set foot on the moon during the first mission to the moon. After cessation of space missions, Aldrin returned to the Air Force as a manager, but problems began to appear in his personal life. His autobiography revealed the story of depression and alcoholism after he left the Aerospace Agency.
More than half a century has passed since the first moon landing, but many people still refuse to believe the authenticity of Buzz Aldrin's achievements. The random tool shares 18 things about Buzz Aldrin you did not know.
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