When man first landed on the moon

Apollo 11 Astronaut Neil Armstrong speaks during a celebration dinner at Ohio State University honoring former U.S. Sen. and astronaut John Glenn's 50th anniversary of his flight aboard Friendship 7 on Feb. 20, 2012 in Columbus, Ohio. Photo: Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images

Myth: That in his later years he gave no media interviews. In fact, starting in 2002, biographer James R. Hansen conducted some 55 hours of tape-recorded interviews with Armstrong about all aspects of his life and career.

According to Hansen, "It would be very easy to come up with at least ten more myths about the iconic Armstrong." #12: That he never signed autographs. #13: That Neil was a cold and emotionless man. #14: That he lived as a recluse following his astronaut years. #15: That he was an atheist. #16: That he was a devout Christian. #17: That he was convinced that he saw an alien UFO while on the way to the moon. #18: That during a Bob Hope USO trip to Vietnam in 1970, he had a romantic relationship with Hollywood starlet Connie Stevens. #19. That he was related to bicyclist Lance Armstrong. #20. That right up to the time of his death in August 2012, Neil lived on a farm in Lebanon, Ohio. Despite what you may read on the Internet, none of this is true.

James R. Hansen is also the author of "Truth, Lies, and O-Rings: Inside the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster" (2009; with Morton-Thiokol rocket engineer Alan J. McDonald) and "Forever Young: A Life of Adventure in Air and Space" (2012, with Apollo astronaut and Moonwalker John W. Young). At Auburn University, where he serves as a full professor, Hansen regularly teaches an honors seminar on "The Astronaut as Icon."