Editors of TIME For Kids Magazine - Big Book of WHO: 1,001 Amazing Facts!

Contents

GROUNDBREAKERS AND PIONEERS

Who were the first people to walk on the moon?

Thats one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind. Astronaut Neil Armstrong said these famous words on July 20, 1969, the day he became the first person to set foot on the moon.

Aldrin exits the Eagle lunar module on July 20, 1969.

Armstrong and his fellow astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins manned NASAs Apollo 11 mission. It was the U.S. space agencys first lunar landing mission.

On July 16, the three-man crew blasted off into space inside the command module, called Columbia , from Kennedy Space Center, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Four days later, they were orbiting the moon. They were about to make history.

Aldrin stands next to the American flag he and Armstrong planted on the moon.

On the morning of July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin crawled into the Eagle lunar module. The smaller space-craft was connected to Columbia . They would pilot it to the moons surface. Collins remained in orbit aboard Columbia.

Hours later, at 4:18 p.m., NASAs Mission Control, in Houston, Texas, received a radio call from Armstrong. Houston, Tranquility Base here, he said. The Eagle has landed. They had touched down on the moon!

Back on Earth, more than half a billion people watched the extraordinary event on television. At 10:56 p.m., Armstrong climbed down Eagles ladder and planted his feet on the ground. Aldrin followed shortly after.

The pair spent two and a half hours taking photos, setting up experiments, and collecting rock samples. With its mission complete, the crew returned safely to Earth on July 24. The triumph of the Apollo 11 mission paved the way for five more successful manned lunar landings.

Who was the first person to run a four-minute mile?

On the day Roger Bannister became the first person to run one mile in less than four minutes, he had considered canceling his attempt. It was rainy and windy on Iffley Road track, in Oxford, England. But the 25-year-old British medical student knew if he didnt try, someone else might beat him to it.

On May 6, 1954, with about 3,000 people watching, Bannister began his sprint into the record books. He had planned out the race very carefully. Two runners, Chris Brasher and Chris Chataway, helped him keep his pace. The crowd held its collective breath as Bannister burst down the final stretch. When he crossed the finish line, he nearly collapsed in exhaustion. Had he clocked in at under four minutes?

The answer was a resounding yes! Bannister made history that day with a time of three minutes and 59.4 seconds.

Who was the first Hispanic U.S. Supreme Court justice?

On August 8, 2009, Sonia Sotomayor was formally sworn in as the 111th U.S. Supreme Court justice. She was only the third woman to serve on the nations highest court in 220 years. She was also the first Hispanic American.

Since taking her seat, Sotomayor has weighed in on many important issues, including campaign finance and health-care reform.

Sotomayors passion for law began at an early age. She says watching the TV show Perry Mason inspired her to become a lawyer. She worked as an attorney and a judge, but says she never dreamed that she would one day sit on the U.S. Supreme Court.

It is our nations faith in a more perfect union that allows a Puerto Rican girl from the Bronx to stand here now, she said after being sworn in. I am struck again by the wonder of my own life and the life we in America are so privileged to lead.

Who became the countrys first female self-made millionaire?

Madam C.J. Walker is widely recognized as the nations first self-made female millionaire. When Walker began suffering from a scalp ailment that caused her hair to fall out, she started to experiment with home remedies and store-bought products. In 1905, she came up with the perfect formula, which she called Wonderful Hair Grower. Walker decided to take a leap and start her own hair-care company, gearing the business to the needs of black women. By 1916, she had moved to New York City, and business was booming. She expanded her line, selling her products across the U.S. and the world. I had to make my own living and my own opportunity, Walker once said. But I made it! Dont sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them.

Who was known as the Queen of Jazz?

With her soulful voice and trademark improvisations, jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald knew how to make beautiful music. Thats why she was known as the Queen of Jazz.

Fitzgerald was born on April 25, 1917, in Newport News, Virginia, and raised in Yonkers, New York. Growing up, she enjoyed playing baseball and dancing and singing with friends. Sometimes, they would take the train to Harlem, in New York City, to see shows at the legendary Apollo Theater.

It was there that the world first heard Fitzgerald. In 1934, her name was pulled from a weekly drawing to compete in Apollos Amateur Night. She sang Hoagy Carmichaels Judy and the crowd went wild. That night, a star was born.

Fitzgerald was shy and reserved, but lit up in the spotlight. Once up there, I felt the acceptance and love from my audience, Fitzgerald said. I knew I wanted to sing [for] people [for] the rest of my life.

During a career that spanned six decades, Fitzgerald worked with greats including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Frank Sinatra. By the 1990s, she had recorded more than 200 albums, sold more than 40 million copies of them, and won 13 Grammys. She was the first African-American woman to win the music industrys top prize. In 1991, the legendary singer gave her final performance, at New Yorks famed Carnegie Hall.