January 20 is Buzz Aldrin’s 89th birthday.
Aldrin of course was the second man to land on the moon, following Neil Armstrong after Apollo 11. For beating the Russians to the moon at the height of the Cold War, Aldrin is beloved as a true American patriot. Aldrin, along with Armstrong, and fellow astronaut Michael Collins, were awarded the Presidential Medal Of Freedom by President Richard Nixon in 1969, shortly after their return to earth. (RELATED: Buzz Aldrin Takes Subtle Dig At New Moon Landing Movie That Won’t Feature Iconic American Flag)
While Aldrin’s accomplishments were heroic, there are still a few conspiracy theorists who believe the incident never occurred. Aldrin showed just what he thought of them during a 2002 encounter in Beverly Hills, where he socked a vocal moon conspiracy theorist right in the face after the man heckled him.
It’s Buzz Aldrin’s 89th birthday today. Let’s not forget the time he punched a moon landing denier in the face. pic.twitter.com/Zu7flIhNDY
— Meredith Frost (@MeredithFrost) January 20, 2019
No charges were filed against Aldrin, and he continues to live on as an American icon.
As he closes in on his ninth decade, let’s take some time to reflect on just how much he has meant to the United States.