Neil Armstrong was a US astronaut and the first man to walk on the moon. As commander of the Apollo 11 mission, he landed on the moon with Buzz Aldrin on July 20, 1969. Armstrong took the first step on the lunar surface with the famous phrase: "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind".

Millions watched this historic moment live on television. Armstrong became a symbol of US technological prowess and boosted national morale during a tense Cold War period.