World History Moment: Armstrong Walks On The Moon


World History Moment: Armstrong Walks On The Moon
In May 1961, President John F. Kennedy spoke to a joint session of Congress. He announced a plan to send a man to the Moon before the decade was over. Apollo 11 left Earth on July 16, 1969, with a crew of three—Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins. Four days later, they arrived in lunar orbit. On July 21, 1969 at 2:54 GMT—Armstrong iconically climbed down from the craft and announced: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” About 600 million people watched, worldwide. Historian, John Schmidt, tells us the story.