http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/25/us/neil-armstrong-obit/index.html?hpt=hp_t1 
(CNN) -- Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, has died, his family said Saturday. He was 82.
"We are heartbroken toshare the news that Neil Armstrong has passed away followingcomplications resulting from cardiovascular procedures," Armstrong'sfamily said in a statement.
Armstrong underwent heart surgery this month.
"While we mourn the lossof a very good man, we also celebrate his remarkable life and hope thatit serves as an example to young people around the world to work hard tomake their dreams come true, to be willing to explore and push thelimits, and to selflessly serve a cause greater than themselves," hisfamily said.
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden put Armstrong's death in perspective.
"As long as there arehistory books, Neil Armstrong will be included in them," he said. "As weenter this next era of space exploration, we do so standing on theshoulders of Neil Armstrong. We mourn the passing of a friend, fellowastronaut and true American hero."
Armstrong flew into spacetwice. He made his first journey in 1966 as commander of the Gemini 8mission, which nearly ended in disaster.
Armstrong kept his cooland brought the spacecraft home safely after a thruster rocketmalfunctioned and caused it to spin wildly out of control.
During his next space trip in July 1969,Armstrongand fellow astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins blasted off inApollo 11 on a nearly 250,000-mile journey to the moon that went down inthe history books.
It took them four days to reach their destination.
The world watched and waited as the lunar module "Eagle" separated from the command module and began its descent.
Then came the words from Armstrong: "Tranquility Base here, the Eagle has landed."
About six and a halfhours later at 10:56 p.m. ET on July 20, 1969, Armstrong, at age 38,became the first person to set foot on the moon.
He uttered the now-famous phrase: "That's one small step for(a)man, one giant leap for mankind."
The quote was originally recorded without the "a," which was picked up by voice recognition software many years later.
Armstrong was on themoon's surface for two hours and 32 minutes and Aldrin, who followedhim, spent about 15 minutes less than that.
The two astronauts setup an American flag, scooped up moon rocks and set up scientificexperiments before returning to the main spacecraft.
All three returned home to a hero's welcome, and none ever returned to space.
The moon landing was amajor victory for the United States, which at the height of the Cold Warin 1961 committed itself to landing a man on the moon and returning himsafely before the decade was out.
It was also a definingmoment for the world. The launch and landing were broadcast on live TVand countless people watched in amazement as Armstrong walked on themoon.
"I remember very clearlybeing an 8-year-old kid and watching the TV ... I remember even as akid thinking, 'Wow, the world just changed,'" said astronaut LeroyChiao. "And then hours later watching Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrintake the very first step of any humans on another planetary body. Thatkind of flipped the switch for me in my head. I said, 'That's what Iwant to do, I want to be an astronaut.'"
Tributes to Armstrong --who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969, the highestaward offered to a U.S. civilian -- poured in as word of his deathspread.
"Neil was among thegreatest of American heroes -- not just of his time, but of all time,"said President Barack Obama. "When he and his fellow crew members liftedoff aboard Apollo 11 in 1969, they carried with them the aspirations ofan entire nation. They set out to show the world that the Americanspirit can see beyond what seems unimaginable -- that with enough driveand ingenuity, anything is possible."
Republican presidentialcandidate Mitt Romney said the former astronaut "today takes his placein the hall of heroes. With courage unmeasured and unbounded love forhis country, he walked where man had never walked before. The moon willmiss its first son of earth."
House Speaker JohnBoehner, from Ohio, said: "A true hero has returned to the Heavens towhich he once flew. Neil Armstrong blazed trails not just for America,but for all of mankind. He inspired generations of boys and girlsworldwide not just through his monumental feat, but with the humilityand grace with which he carried himself to the end."
Armstrong was born inWapakoneta, Ohio, on August 5, 1930. He was interested in flying even asa young boy, earning his pilot's license at age 16.
Armstrong studiedaeronautical engineering and earned degrees from Purdue University andUniversity of Southern California. He served in the Navy, and flew 78combat missions during the Korean War.
"He was the best, and I will miss him terribly," said Collins, the Apollo 11 command module pilot.
After his historicmission to the moon, Armstrong worked for NASA, coordinating andmanaging the administration's research and technology work.
In 1971, he resigned from NASA and taught engineering at the University of Cincinnati for nearly a decade.
While many people arequick to cash in on their 15 minutes of fame, Armstrong largely avoidedthe public spotlight and chose to lead a quiet, private life with hiswife and children.
"He was really anengineer's engineer -- a modest man who was always uncomfortable in hissingular role as the first person to set foot on the moon. He understoodand appreciated the historic consequences of it and yet was never fullywilling to embrace it. He was modest to the point of reclusive. Youcould call him the J.D. Salinger of the astronaut corps," said MilesO'Brien, an aviation expert with PBS' Newshour, formerly of CNN.
"He was a quiet,engaging, wonderful from the Midwest kind of guy. ... But when it cameto the public exposure that was associated with this amazingaccomplishment ... he ran from it. And part of it was he felt as if thiswas an accomplishment of many thousands of people. And it was. He tookthe lion's share of the credit and he felt uncomfortable with that,"said O'Brien.
But Armstrong always recognized -- in a humble manner -- the importance of what he had accomplished.
"Looking back, we werereally very privileged to live in that thin slice of history where wechanged how man looks at himself and what he might become and where hemight go," Armstrong said.
RIP
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