Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins has died at age 90

Question

Sad news. Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins has passed away at 90. Only Buzz Aldrin is left now. 

Answer 1

I just heard it on the radio and had to text my daughter.  She had to write a report on him for school many years ago, so she (we) learned a lot about him.  Wow.

I suspect this is him: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Collins-17312

Comments

I opened his profile, and I just connected him to the big tree, as well, so he's prime for being worked on if members are interested.

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Thank you very much Abby!

Answer 2

When I was a kid, the Apollo astronauts were considered among our greatest American heroes. Today, I wonder how many of our young people could even identify one or two of them by name. Part of what I love most about WikiTree is the opportunity to memorialize the stories off all the many heroes who came before us - famous or not.

Comments

I totally hear you, David. And I'm doing my part to make sure my kids know who Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins were and what they achieved. For me, it's not enough to know who historical figures are/were, but as much as possible, they should hear about them from people who witnessed history as it unfolded.

Answer 3

He will be connected also via his maternal grandparents, through whom he is related to Senator William Henry Seward.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Stewart-43870

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Beattie-2069

Answer 4

Just recently I read his autobiography, which I was able to find at the library. Lots of details about the early days of space flight, and all I can say is, those guys had GUTS.

Answer 5

Michael Collins and Patrick Swayze are 6th cousins once removed!

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Swayze-66

Answer 6

My grandfather worked on the Apollo 11. Just a FYI. I have a certificate from the president thanking him for this.

Answer 7

Like many of you leaving a post on behalf of Michael Collins, I share your sentiments. I was in my teens when JFK made a commitment that the USA would be the first to have a man on the moon. I recall watching so many of these 'lift offs' on the telly. And our astronauts were true heroes. I think of the book The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe that was made into a movie of the same name. These early astronauts did, indeed, have The Right Stuff.