August 25, 2012 5:03 pm The man who uttered the iconic phrase,
“That’s one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind”
has died today at the age of 82 years old. As reported by the
Associated Press, Armstrong died following complications
resulting from cardiovascular problems. On that momentous day of
July 20, 1969, Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the Moon’s
surface for three hours, collecting rock samples, taking
photographs and conducting experiments. From the AP obit: “The
sights were simply magnificent, beyond any visual experience
that I had ever been exposed to,” Armstrong once said. The
moonwalk marked America’s victory in the Cold War space race
that began Oct. 4, 1957, with the launch of the Soviet Union’s
Sputnik 1, a 184-pound satellite that sent shock waves around
the world. Although he had been a Navy fighter pilot, a test
pilot for NASA’s forerunner and an astronaut, Armstrong never
allowed himself to be caught up in the celebrity and glamor of
the space program. “I am, and ever will