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"7 Tech Luminaries the World Lost in 2012\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n1. Neil Armstrong \n\nNeil Armstrong was the first person to set foot on the moon in 1969. Armstrong began his NASA career in his home state of Ohio, first serving as a naval aviator, then joining the NACA Lewis Research Center (now NASA Glenn) in Cleveland. On July 20, 1969, Armstrong, the commander of Apollo 11, along with Col. Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., commonly known as \"Buzz,\" directed their lunar landing craft, the Eagle, to an area on the moon near the Sea of Tranquillity. \nArmstrong died in August 2012 at the age of 82. \nImage credit: Flickr, Greg Bishop\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n2. Jack Tramiel\n\nTramiel created the Commodor computer and paved the way for the PC industry by bringing affordable computers to the masses in the late '70s and early '80s. The Commodore 64 model sold more than 20 million units \u2014 four times the sales of the Apple II, according to The New York Times. \nHe died in April 2012 at the age of 83. Tramiel is pictured on the right, seen here with Steve Wozniak. \nImage credit: Flickr, vongaurd\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n3. Sally Ride \n\nRide made history as the first American woman to enter space, in 1983 on the Space Shuttle Challenger. She was a physicist and astronaut who joined NASA in 1978 at the age of 32. \nShe died at 61, after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer. \nImage credit: Flickr, NASA Goddard Photo and Video's photostream\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n4. Bill Moggridge\n\nBill Moggridge designed the first laptop computer, the GRiD Compass, in 1982. He died in September at the age of 69, after battling cancer. \nImage credit: mayonissen, Wikimedia Commons\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n5. Renato Dulbecco\n\nThe Italian-born American virologist and Nobel Prize winner passed away in February at the age of 97. He's famed for finding a link between genetic mutations and cancer. \nImage credit: Unknown, gift Dr. Dulbecco, Wikimedia Commons\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n6. Ray Bradbury\n\nVisionary science fiction novelist Ray Bradbury wrote 27 novels and 600 short stories, the most famous of which are Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles. He passed away in June 2012 at the age of 91. \nImage credit: MDCarchives, Wikimedia Commons\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n7. Keith Campbell\n\nScottish biologist Keith Campbell cloned the world's first animal, a now-famous (and deceased) sheep named Dolly. His name is not listed in research papers as the principal investigator, but the man who is, Ian Wilmut, told The Telegraph in 2009 that Campbell deserved the lion's share of the credit. Campbell's accomplishment was controversial, but his research excited scientists and others who hoped cloning might lead to cures for illnesses. \nCampbell passed away in Oct. 2012 at the age of 58. \nImage credit: Murdo Macleod for the Guardian\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn 2012, we lost several historical figures who contributed to some of the world's greatest advancements. Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, passed away in August at the age of 82. And Sally Ride, the first woman in space, made incredible strides for NASA, as well as for women in STEM. \n\n SEE ALSO: Neil Armstrong Took the Hardest Step for All of Us  \nThis list highlights well-known people who have paved the way for others working in science and technology. They've not only impacted their professions, but also increased human understanding of the world we live in. \nImage courtesy of Flickr, Valeria Gonzalez.-"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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