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On May 25, 1961, just three weeks after Alan Shepherd had become the first American launched into space, President John F. Kennedy made the following stunning announcement: "I believe this Nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space."
Even for a generation who had grown up on Flash Gordon and other space adventures, Kennedy's mandate seemed to be impossibly over-optimistic.
What would ensue over the next eight years was nothing short of remarkable: the first man in orbit, the first space walk, the Gemini missions, the first moon orbit (and breathtaking view of the Earth), and, ultimately, the historic flight of Apollo 11.
It was on July 20, 1969 that Armstrong stepped out of the lunar module and uttered the words "One small step for man… one giant leap for mankind." When Apollo 11 splashed down to Earth on July 24, Kennedy's vision was complete.
While Armstrong was just one man out of thousands who deserve credit for the incredible march to the moon, he has become the symbol for America's greatest single moment in technology.
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