Publish Date: July 25, 1969
Cover Story: A Giant Leap for Mankind
How TIME Covered the News: Astronaut Neil Armstrong’s greatest imprint on history is the one he made on the moon. After a four-day voyage, Armstrong and his two fellow Apollo 11 astronauts, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, landed on the lunar surface to much fanfare. Armstrong’s utterance from 230,000 miles away still echoes today: “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
“After centuries of dreams and prophecies, the moment had come. Man had broken his terrestrial shackles for the first time and set foot on another world. Standing on the lifeless, rock-studded surface he could see the earth, a lovely blue and white hemisphere suspended in the velvety black sky. The spectacular view might well help him place his problems, as well as his world, in a new perspective.”