Born: 23 March 1912 · Died: 16 June 1977 · Age at death: 65
How old was Wernher von Braun when he died?
Wernher von Braun died aged 65. He was born on 23 March 1912 and died on 16 June 1977.
Rocket engineer who developed the Saturn V for the Apollo missions
Did you know?He was a leading figure in the German rocket programme during the Second World War before being moved to the United States.
Quick facts
Date of birth23 March 1912
Date of death16 June 1977
Age at death65
Cause of deathPancreatic cancer, liver cancer
NationalityGerman-American
BirthplaceWyrzysk, Poland
Occupationphysicist, military flight engineer, non-fiction writer
Editor's Take:
Wernher von Braun dreamed of space travel from boyhood. He reached the Moon by a dark road. His V-2 rockets killed thousands of people in London and Antwerp. Thousands more prisoners died building them in slave-labour conditions. After the war, the United States brought him over and put his talents to work. His team launched America's first satellite and built the giant Saturn V. His story raises lasting questions about science and responsibility.
Key Milestones
1937: Becomes technical director at Peenemünde
1944: The V-2 is first fired at London
1958: His team launches Explorer 1
1967: The Saturn V makes its first flight
Wernher Magnus Maximilian Freiherr von Braun (US: VUR-nər von BROWN; German:; 23 March 1912 – 16 June 1977) was a German American aerospace engineer and space architect.
Wernher von Braun's birthday is March 23. He was born on March 23, 1912 in Wyrzysk, Poland.
How old was Wernher von Braun when he died?
Wernher von Braun died on June 16, 1977, aged 65.
Who shares a birthday with Wernher von Braun?
Famous people who share Wernher von Braun's March 23 birthday include Akira Kurosawa, Pierre-Simon Laplace, Erich Fromm, Joan Crawford and Roger Martin du Gard.
