William Anders

American astronaut and lunar explorer (1933–2024)

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Lived 1933–2024, aged 91United States

United States Historical Figures

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Historical Figures rank#79
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52 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1933–2024
Aged 91

Summary

Updated 2026-05-29

Orbited the Moon on Apollo 8 in 1968 and snapped Earthrise, the photo that made Earth look small. Military engineer turned astronaut turned businessman—the rare kind of resume that actually needed the space mission credential.

Biography

About

William Alison Anders was a United States Air Force (USAF) major general, electrical engineer, nuclear engineer, NASA astronaut, and businessman. In December 1968, he was a member of the crew of Apollo 8, the first three people to leave low Earth orbit and travel to the Moon. Along with fellow astronauts Frank Borman and Jim Lovell, he circled the Moon ten times, and broadcast live images and commentary back to Earth, including the Christmas Eve Genesis reading. During one of the mission's lunar orbits, he took the iconic Earthrise photograph. Thus, he is considered to be the first astronaut b…

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