Buzz Aldrin

Dr. Edwin Eugene "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr., retired Colonel (born January 20, 1930) is an American pilot and astronaut. He was one of the Apollo 11 astronauts and the second person to have ever walked on the moon.

Buzz Aldrin
Aldrin in July 1969
Born	Edwin Eugene Aldrin, Jr. (1930-01-20) January 20, 1930 (age 95) Glen Ridge, New Jersey, U.S.
Nationality	American
Other names	Dr. Rendezvous
Education	Montclair High School
Alma mater	United States Military Academy, B.S. 1951 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sc.D. 1963
Occupations	Fighter pilot astronaut
Known for	Second man on the Moon
Spouses	Joan Ann Archer ​ ​ (m. 1954; div. 1974)​ Beverly Van Zile ​ ​ (m. 1975; div. 1978)​ Lois Driggs Cannon ​ ​ (m. 1988; div. 2012)​ Anca V Faur ​ (m. 2023)​
Children	3
Parents	Edwin Eugene Aldrin Sr. (father) Marion Aldrin (née Moon) (mother)
Space career Space career NASA astronaut Rank Colonel, United States Air Force Time in space 12 days, 1 hour and 53 minutes Selection NASA Astronaut Group 3 Total EVAs 4 Total EVA time 7 hours and 52 minutes Missions Gemini 12 Apollo 11 Mission insignia Retirement July 1, 1971
Website	www.buzzaldrin.com
Signature

Early life

Aldrin was born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. He earned a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the military academy West Point in 1951. After postgraduate studies, he received a ScD in Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1963.From his earlier activity as a fighter pilot in the Korean War he won several medals, including the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal.

Apollo 11 mission

Aldrin was the second person in history to set foot on the Moon (after Neil Armstrong, during the Apollo 11 mission).

The Lunar Lander Module landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969.^[1]

He was 39 when he set foot on the moon.

As a Presbyterian elder, Aldrin was the first and only person to hold a religious ceremony on the Moon.^[2] Using a kit given to him by his pastor, he took communion during his moon mission.^[3]

He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal. After the death of Michael Collins in 2021, Aldrin became the last surviving member of the Apollo 11 crew.

Later life

Aldrin left NASA in March 1972. He has been married four times: to Joan Archer, to Beverly Zile, to Lois Driggs Cannon, and to Anca V Faur.^[4] He had three children with Joan, named James, Janice, and Andrew. He married Cannon on Valentine's Day, 1988. He is the oldest contestant on the television series Dancing with the Stars. He competed in 2010.