Jim Lovell is a retired American astronaut and naval aviator, best known for his role in the Apollo 13 mission. Born on March 25, 1928, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he flew on four space missions, including Gemini 7 and Apollo 8, which was the first crewed mission to orbit the Moon. During the Apollo 13 mission in April 1970, an oxygen tank explosion jeopardized the crew's safety. Lovell's leadership and problem-solving skills were crucial in bringing the astronauts back to Earth safely, making the mission a remarkable example of teamwork and ingenuity in space exploration.