Neil Armstrong made "one giant leap for mankind" with a small step onto the moon. He commanded the historic landing of the Apollo 11 spacecraft on the moon July 20, 1969, capping the most daring of the 20th century’s scientific expeditions and becoming the first man to walk on the moon. His first words after the feat are etched in history books and the memories of the spellbound millions who heard them in a live broadcast.

 

"That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," Armstrong said. He insisted later that he had said "a" before man, but said he, too, couldn’t hear it in the version that went to the world. Armstrong, who had bypass surgery earlier this month, died Saturday at age 82 from what his family said were complications of heart procedures. His family didn’t say where he died; he had lived in suburban Cincinnati. [Link]