Astronaut Neil Armstrong dies at 82

Astronaut Neil Armstrong dies at 82

Of all the pioneers in mankind's past, near-legendary men whose names are spoken in respectful whispers, Armstrong was the last still living, and of his time, perhaps the best. He was a classic American hero formed from the old mold: resilient, modest, brilliant, abstemious. uninterested in the limelight. He simply did his duty to the best of his abilities, then went home to a quiet life.

(By the way, Gagarin was actually the youngest of the great pioneers, four years younger than Armstrong, but he died more than 40 years ago! Although their abilities and accomplishments were comparable (and they kinda looked alike), Gagarin was as different from Armstrong as any two men could be. Gagarin was flamboyant and reckless, a hard drinker, a jock and a compulsive womanizer who loved to make public appearances.)