Neil Armstrong had a childhood dream of being the first man on the moon, despite being made fun of for this ambition. On July 20, 1969, Armstrong fulfilled this goal as commander of the Apollo 11 mission, becoming the first person to walk on the moon. He famously said "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" upon stepping foot on the lunar surface. Armstrong had a lifelong passion for space exploration that began in his Ohio childhood and led him to make history with this pivotal moment in the Space Race.