Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

Arts & Entertainment

Neil Armstrong Died, Not Neil Young (And He's Not A Cyclist)


By

Ben Yakas

Published Aug 25, 2012

Modified Aug 25, 2012


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


Never miss a story

 Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .


By

Ben Yakas

Published Aug 25, 2012

Modified Aug 25, 2012


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Astronaut Neil Armstrong passed away this afternoon at the age of 82—but even the man who coined the phrase, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind," is not immune to the confusion of the internet. To that end, NBC mistakenly wrote that astronaut Neil Young had died. And no, he's not the guy who rides the bike.

As far as we know, Neil Young is alive and well, and Lance Armstrong (the aforementioned biker) is still banned from cycling. Neil Armstrong also followed in the footsteps of Arcade Fire and Bon Iver, as some Twitter users desperately tried to figure out who he was and why he was trending—and other tweeters got angry about it.

Tagged

astronaut

death

errors

lance armstrong

nbc

neil armstrong

neil young

twitter


Ben Yakas

Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


MORE arts-entertainment

Ever wish you could get paid to walk through a stranger’s house? ‘The Scout’ is for you.

A new film focuses on the strange career of a location scout in New York City.

By

Sonia Rao

Published Sep 26, 2026


There are 100s of places to visit during Open House New York. Here's 5 of our favorites.

See the entire lineup for the weekend when the city opens its doors.

By

Hannah Frishberg

Arts & Entertainment

There are 100s of places to visit during Open House New York. Here's 5 of our favorites.

See the entire lineup for the weekend when the city opens its doors.

By

Hannah Frishberg


A massive MTA archive ended up in a Virginia warehouse. A Brooklyn man brought it home.

By

Hannah Frishberg

How a Harry Styles pop-up in the East Village led to a nearby bookstore owner's arrest

By

Sonia Rao

NYC’s creative workers are increasingly self-employed, report says

By

Hannah Frishberg


Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .