Neil Armstrong, 1930-2012
Neil Armstrong has passed away. The man was the first person to walk on another planet, a feat thought not just impossible, but inconceivable, for 99.99% of humanity’s existence. He transformed what could have been a moment of supreme personal glory or nationalistic fervor into a achievement for the entire human race with his immortal words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” He lived his life with a quiet dignity, never seeking fame or glory or trying to benefit from his incredible accomplishment. Of all the remembrances issued this week, I find current NASA administrator Charles F. Bolden Jr.’s to be the most apt: “As long as there are history books, Neil Armstrong will be included in them, remembered for taking humankind’s first small step on a world beyond our own.”