If you've grown up with your eyes up at the sky at night looking at the stars and the moon and wondering what's out there, you've heard of Buzz Aldrin. Him, along with Commander Neil Armstrong, became the first humans on the moon on July 20, 1969, in Armstrong's words, "That's one small step for man, a giant leap for mankind."

Buzz Aldrin was the second man to walk on the moon, and the man has had a very decorated career that every space headed youngster that grew up looking at the skies should know. Born on January 20th, 1930, here are the things you need to know about Buzz Aldrin

1. Buzz Aldrin had his name legally changed

Buzz Aldrin was born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr, but the nickname Buzz originated from his sister Fay Ann having difficulty calling him 'brother' as a child, and ended up calling him Buzzer. The name stuck, and during the Apollo 11 mission, he was Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin, before legally changing his name to Buzz Aldrin in 1988. Another interesting fact is that his mother's name was Marion Moon before marriage to Edwin Eugene Aldrin Sr. Coincidence or destiny, you decide. 

2. He graduated as a Mechanical Engineer before his military career 

Aldrin was a brilliant student, finishing third in his class and graduating Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force and served as a jet fighter pilot during the Korean War, flying 68 missions and taking down Russian MiGs. 

3. The mission to the Moon wasn't his first time in Space

Before the universally iconic Apollo 11 mission which put mankind on the moon, Buzz Aldrin was part of the final Gemini mission, Gemini 12. He set a record, which has been broken several times over since then, of becoming the first human to prove that Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) can be carried out for longer than previously believed, which is to say, Buzz Aldrin tied himself to a rope, flew out of the spacecraft and carried out repairs like it was just another day in the sun, with no fear whatsoever. 

4. The iconic image of an Astronaut on the moon you see is almost all Buzz Aldrin 

On their first moonwalk (not the Micheal Jackson variety) on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong was tasked with documenting their walk on the moon, and thus almost all of the images of an Astronaut on the moon are of Buzz Aldrin. The iconic photo where the visor reflects the Eagle lander and the astronaut taking a photograph is of Buzz Aldrin, with the astronaut in the reflection being Armstrong. 

5. The famous Toy Story character Buzz Lightyear is based on Buzz Aldrin 

Buzz Lightyear, the famous space ranger from the movie Toy Story, is based on Buzz Aldrin. Disney asked Buzz to give some space travel tips to Buzz Lightyear for his 2008 shuttle flight to the International Space Station to help celebrate NASA’s 50th Anniversary. Aldrin willingly agreed, but of course reminded Lightyear who the “real” Buzz was!