Origins & Early Life

Thomas Kenneth Mattingly II (March 17, 1936 – October 31, 2023) was an American aviator, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, rear admiral in the United States Navy, and astronaut who orbited the Moon on Apollo 16 and flew on the STS-4 and STS-51-C missions. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Mattingly was replaced as Apollo 13 command module pilot (CMP) three days before launch, then helped NASA bring the crippled spacecraft home. Mattingly flew as CMP for Apollo 16 and made 64 lunar orbits, becoming one of the 24 Apollo astronauts to reach the Moon. During Apollo 16's return to Earth, Mattingly performed an extravehicular activity to retrieve film cassettes from the command and service module.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

It was the second "deep space" EVA in history, at great distance from any planetary body. Mattingly and his Apollo 16 commander, John Young, are the only astronauts to have flown to the Moon and also orbited the Earth on the Space Shuttle. Thomas Kenneth Mattingly II was born on March 17, 1936, in Chicago, Illinois, to Thomas Kenneth Mattingly and Constance Mason Mattingly (née Clarke). His father, who had been hired by Eastern Airlines soon after his son's birth, moved...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alan Alda — Contemporary (Born in 1936) (1936): Esteemed American actor celebrated for M*A*S*H and decades of versatile performances.
• Albert Finney — Contemporary (Born in 1936) (1936): Esteemed English actor celebrated for his versatile stage and screen performances.
• Andrew Grove — Contemporary (Born in 1936) (1936): Visionary engineer and CEO who drove Intel to global semiconductor dominance.
• Alan Arkin — Contemporary (Died in 2023) (2023): Esteemed American actor, filmmaker, and musician with a seven-decade career.
• Ama Ata Aidoo — Contemporary (Died in 2023) (2023): Pioneering Ghanaian writer, poet, and academician celebrated for feminist themes.
• B. V. Doshi — Contemporary (Died in 2023) (2023): Pioneering Indian architect celebrated for modernist and brutalist design.
• Chaleo Yoovidhya — Shared historical date (03-17 · Died) (2012): Pioneering Thai entrepreneur, originator of Krating Daeng and Red Bull.
• Daniel Bernoulli — Shared historical date (03-17 · Died) (1782): Swiss mathematician and physicist, known for fluid mechanics and probability.
• Alexander Borodin — Shared historical date (10-31 · Born) (1833): Russian Romantic composer, chemist, and physician known for 'Prince Igor' and symphonies.
• Charles Taze Russell — Shared historical date (10-31 · Died) (1916): Founder of the Bible Student movement, influential American Adventist minister.
• 1936 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1936
• March 17 (03-17) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on March 17
• 2023 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2023
• October 31 (10-31) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on October 31