Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong recalled in great detail his early life, his career as an aviator and astronaut, and the Apollo 11 moon landing with Stephen E. Ambrose and Douglas Brinkley for NASA’s Johnson Space Center Oral History Project on Sept. 19, 2001.

He talked about how he crafted his famous line “One small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind,” saying, “It was not something that I really concentrated on but just something that was kind of passing around subliminally or in the background. But it, you know, was a pretty simple statement, talking about stepping off something. Why, it wasn't a very complex thing. It was what it was. … I didn't want to be dumb, but it was contrived in a way, and I was guilty of that.”

Full Transcript (PDF)

Additional Interview With Neil Armstrong
Armstrong sat down Ed Bradley for a July 2006 episode of CBS’ “60 Minutes.” Armstrong touched on the moon landing and his unease in being famous for it. “I guess we all like to be recognized not for one piece of fireworks, but for the ledger of our daily work,” he said.

To learn more about Neil Armstrong, read his profile on findingDulcinea.