Exactly 40 years ago now—at 10:56pm EDT, July 20, 1969—Neil Armstrong began his descent to the Moon's surface, slowly sliding down the Eagle's ladder. It was the pinnacle of the greatest human adventure in history.
That Sunday, Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins completed President Kennedy's plan to put a man on the Moon before the decade was over. 400,000 people and 20,000 companies and institutions worked in the project, putting together insanely great talent, knowledge, and ingenuity to achieve what most thought was impossible.
Today we celebrate three men's prodigious, almost miraculous trip across the void of space. We celebrate their courage and prowess, as well as the qualities of every single person who made it possible.
It was a small step for a man, but also for mankind. A giant leap, yes, but still a tiny step toward our destiny in the stars... if we could survive ourselves, that is. Here's hoping that we do. Here's hoping that we could make it again, and find our place in the Universe.
Or in the words of the Onion: