#OTD: Buzz Aldrin, at age 72, punched moon landing conspiracy theorist Bart Sibrel in the face outside a Beverly Hills hotel on September 9, 2002, after Sibrel aggressively accused him of lying about walking on the moon and called Aldrin a “coward, a liar, and a thief.”

Bart Sibrel, a well-known conspiracy theorist, confronted Aldrin and tried to coerce him into swearing on a Bible that he had indeed walked on the moon. Sibrel had arranged the meeting under false pretenses and repeatedly harassed Aldrin both verbally and physically, including poking him with a Bible.

When Sibrel escalated by calling Aldrin a “coward, liar, and thief,” Aldrin retorted, “get away from me,” and then punched Sibrel in the jaw.

Sibrel attempted to press charges against Aldrin, but the case was thrown out by the court, which determined Sibrel was the instigator of the confrontation. The punch was widely covered, and Aldrin received much public support, with many noting that challenging the integrity of a decorated astronaut and war veteran was deeply offensive.