Photo: NASA; restored by Coffeeandcrumbs / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Honestly, Michael Collins might be the most quietly impressive person in the entire history of space exploration. While Armstrong and Aldrin got the glory of setting foot on the Moon during Apollo 11 in July 1969, Collins was up there alone — orbiting in the Columbia command module, completely cut off from Earth for stretches of time when the Moon blocked every signal. Historians call it the loneliest moment any human has ever experienced, and I think that framing undersells something: Collins chose that role, trained for it, and executed it with zero complaint. No bitterness, no "what about me" — just a career test pilot doing the job. The Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Aviation Hall of Fame, a well-regarded memoir — he earned all of it. He passed away in April 2021, and I think about him every time someone casually says "we landed on the Moon" as if it was a two-man job.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Michael Collins
- Name (Japanese)
- マイケル・コリンズ
- Reading
- まいける・こりんず
- Born
- October 31, 1930 – April 28, 2021
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Horse
- Origin
- Rome, Province of Rome, Italy
- Occupation
- military officer / astronaut / test pilot / autobiographer / actor
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- Distinguished Flying Cross
- 1969 Order of Culture
- 1969 Presidential Medal of Freedom
- 1966 NASA Exceptional Service Medal
- 2002 Washington State Book Award
- Congressional Gold Medal
- 1985 National Aviation Hall of Fame
- 1970 Grande Médaille d'Or des Explorations
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Michael Collins born?
October 31, 1930 – April 28, 2021.
Where is Michael Collins from?
Michael Collins is from Rome, Province of Rome, Italy.
What does Michael Collins do?
Michael Collins works as military officer, astronaut, test pilot, autobiographer, actor.
Military officer — see all → · Astronaut — see all → · More people from Italy →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.