He was born in Montclair, New Jersey.
A West Point graduate, Aldrin flew 66 combat missions in the Korean War before going to MIT, where he earned a doctorate in astronautics. He was selected as an astronaut in 1963; on the Gemini 12 orbital mission, he set a record for extra-vehicular activity. He is most famous for walking on the moon.
Since retiring from NASA, he has continued to promote space exploration, including producing a unique computer strategy game called "Race into Space" (1992).
Aldrin also teamed up with science fiction author John Barnes to write Tiber and The Return.
On 9th September 2002 Aldrin assaulted Bart Sibrel, a documentary maker who claimed the moon landings were faked. California authorities decided against prosecution.