Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, has died aged 82. His family described him as a 'reluctant American hero'. Photograph: AP
Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on
the moon, has died aged 82. The former US astronaut, who will go down on history as the most famous pioneer of
space exploration, passed away as the result of heart complications following surgery.
As commander of the
Apollo 11 mission, he became the first person to set foot on the moon, on 20 July 1969, fulfilling the longheld dream of the
United States to get there before the Soviet Union. His first words as he stepped on to the surface – "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" – instantly became one of the most recognisable phrases ever uttered.
