He may not have been first on the moon, but this weekend Buzz Aldrin laid claim to a first of his own: ‘a space selfie’.
Yesterday marked the 45th anniversary of Neil Armstrong becoming the first man to land on the moon. The success of Apollo 11 on 20 July 1968 is one of the most memorable moments in modern history, and it’s one of the most watched televised events of its time.
But with broadcast audiences today intrigued, mostly, by animals doing weird stuff and notable person selfies, news doesn’t always have the effect it once did.
There is one astronaut however who has gained both traditional and modern news-worthiness, three years before Armstrong reached the moon.
Buzz Aldrin, second man on the moon, has claimed dibs on the first space selfie, that claims to have been taken during the Gemini 12 mission in 1966.
Aldrin posted the picture on Twitter and dubbed it the “BEST SELFIE EVER”.
Did you know I took the first space selfie during Gemini 12 mission in 1966? BEST SELFIE EVER http://t.co/JfPAiVXmLk pic.twitter.com/DuwDXvcDmp
— Buzz Aldrin (@TheRealBuzz) July 19, 2014
Aldrin, 84, began his career as an astronaut in 1963 after serving in the United States Air Force.