Apollo 11

Forty years ago today, the U.S. achieved its goal of putting a man on the Moon. Not surprisingly, many of the quotes from the day quickly made their way into popular culture. All capture the enormity of the moment.

Here are a few:

- Michael Collins, NASA astronaut, when the Eagle, the name given for the lunar module, undocked from the command module Columbia, “Okay, Eagle…you guys take care.”

- Charlie Duke, NASA astronaut at NASA headquarters in Houston, when the lunar module sensors confirmed landing on the Moon, “We copy you down, Eagle.”

- Neil Armstrong, “Houston…Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.”

- The late, great Walter Cronkite, “Oh, boy.” Cronkite uttered the words after hearing that Neil Armstrong had successfully navigated the lunar module to the Moon’s surface.

- Armstrong, “That’s one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.” The first man on the moon supposedly intended to say “that’s one small step for a man” but forgot the “a” during the excitement of the moment.