From the archive: Reflecting on Neil Armstrong's moon landing in 1969
U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong is seen smiling at the camera aboard the lunar module "Eagle" after spending more than 2½ hours on the lunar surface. Armstrong, the first person to set foot on the moon, has died, US media reported on August 22, 2012. He was 82. (July 21, 1969) Credit: Getty Images
Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, died Saturday at age 82.
Armstrong commanded the Apollo 11 spacecraft that landed on the moon July 20, 1969. His first words after becoming the first person to set foot on the surface are etched in history books and the memories of those who heard them in a live broadcast.
"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," Armstrong said.
(Armstrong insisted later that he had said "a'' before man, but said he, too, couldn't hear it in the version that went to the world.)
Armstrong's achievements captivated the nation. See how Newsday's columnists, editorial board and editorial cartoonist reacted to his landing in the gallery below.
