Neil Armstrong made history in 1969 when he planted his feet on the moon

By Janet Raloff

Web edition: August 30, 2012

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Astronaut Neil Armstrong’s official portrait for the Apollo 11 mission to the moon.

Credit: NASA

A little more than 43 years ago, an American astronaut climbed down the ladder of his lunar landing module — the Eagle — and became the first human to touch the moon’s surface. As he steadied himself, he said: “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” Around the globe, an estimated 530 million people watched on their televisions as Neil Armstrong uttered those now-famous words. On August 25, this American hero died at age 82.

Armstrong and fellow moonwalker Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin briefly became the first ambassadors to another world on July 20, 1969. Setting foot on another celestial body was a massive and breathtaking achievement. And Armstrong’s words brought the human scale of that accomplishment to households around the world.

Visit the new Science News for Kids website and read the full story: The first moon walker