Saturday, August 25, 2012

Rest in Peace, Neil Armstrong, the First Man to Walk on the Moon

I think that many of us, tonight, when the sun sets, will go outside and look at the moon and marvel at one of mankind's extraordinary scientific achievements -- when Neil Armstrong, the first man,  walked on the moon. He was the commander, at age 38, of the Apollo 11 mission that landed him in the lunar module on the moon on July 20, 1969, with fellow astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins.

Neil Armstrong died today at age 82.

Many of his quotes are legendary and, in his honor, I repeat my favorite one. As he stepped off the lunar module and set foot on the moon's surface, he said: That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.

According to USA Today, his family released a statement following his death, attributed to post-cardiac surgery complications, which said:

For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request. Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink.

His death was preceded one month ago by the death of another astronaut who made history/herstory -- Sally Ride, who was the first female in space.