Mankind's Giant Leap







It was forty-three years ago today that Neil Armstrong took that one small step for man, and one giant leap for mankind. Looking back on that day in 1969, one has to wonder if the crew of Apollo 11 were aware of the indelible mark that they would leave on our nation's history? What Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin achieved on July 20th, 1969 was more than a decade in the making. To fully appreciate what occurred that historic day, one must have a general understanding of key historical moments in the years leading up to 1969. During the decade of the 1950's and beyond, the United States and the Soviet Union were mired in what historians have dubbed the Cold War. Simply put, the Cold War was a philosophical and ideological standoff between the two emerging world superpowers. With both nations trying to gain the upper hand, the competition shifted to space in 1957 when the Soviets launched a small satellite known as Sputnik. The launch of Sputnik led to massive changes in American society at the time. President Eisenhower pushed for increased funding for missile development. America's schools began beefing up their math and science curriculums as a way to train more scientists and engineers to keep pace with the Soviets. It was in the years following Sputnik's launch that the United States created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA. Although the Soviets were able to get a satellite into space before the United States, America was determined not to be out-done. Fearing that America was losing the race to space, President Kennedy promised in a speech before a joint session of Congress in 1961, that the United States would successfully land a man on the moon before the end of the decade. To many, this goal seemed quite lofty to say the least. With our space program in it's infancy at this time, many questioned if President Kennedy could be serious about the bold assertion he made in that speech. Thanks to a nation of dreamers and believers, a nation of innovators and achievers, that now famous footprint on the surface of the moon will forever symbolize an America that we can all be proud of.