Neil Armstrong, the first man on the Moon, died one year ago on Aug. 25, 2012, at the age of 82.
The pioneering American is remembered as a humble hero; he's often described as a private man who was never comfortable in the public spotlight. When it came to tempting fate, however, Armstrong never shied away.
Before setting foot on the moon, the 38-year-old from Wapakoneta, Ohio, embarked on countless high-risk missions as a naval pilot in the Korean War and later as a test pilot for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the predecessor to NASA.
Here we take a look back at some of Armstrong's most daring moments.
Armstrong ejects after a portion of the right wing of his jet is sheared off.
Date: September 3, 1951
Armstrong was flying a F9F Panther fighter bomber in the Korean war when he was hit by anti-aircraft fire. A portion of the jet's right wing was sliced after he struck a pole trying to regain control. After maneuvering back to friendly territory, the skilled aviator ejected over land where he was scooped up by a roommate from flight school. Armstrong was just 21 years old.
Source: USAToday
Armstrong barely manages to land without striking trees.
Date: April 20, 1962
During testing of the X-15 (a plane that could hit speeds up to six times the speed of sound), Armstrong overshot the landing field at Edwards Air Force base in California. He was able to turn around and managed to land on a lakebed near the base, barely missing some Joshua trees.
Source: NASA
The landing gear of Armstrong's jet gets stuck in the mud.
Date: April 24, 1962
Just four days after the X-15 incident, Armstrong found himself in another sticky situation, this time while flying a T-33 training jet with passenger Chuck Yeager. Apparently, Yeager had warned him that the landing site, Smith Dry Ranch Lake, wasn't suitable for landing due to a recent rainstorm. But Armstrong insisted on flying and ended up getting stuck in the mud.
Source: The Daily Beast
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