TRANQUILITY BASE, The Moon -- "That's one small step for man -- one giant leap for mankind."
They were the first words of Neil A. Armstrong when he set foot on the moon Sunday.
Voices from the moon:
Edwin E. Aldrin, describing the surroundings:
"It looks like a collection of just about every variety of shape, angularity, granularity and every variety of rock you could find ... there doesn't seem to be too much of a general color at all."
Told that ground controllers were smiling:
Armstrong -- "There are two of them up here."
Armstrong, looking from his perch back at earth:
"It's big and bright and beautiful."
Armstrong's first words to Michael Collins, flying 70 miles above in the command ship Columbia:
"Just keep that orbiting base ready for us up there."
"Magnificent desolation," were Aldrin's first words on setting foot on the moonscape.
"Hey Neil, didn't I say we would see some purple rocks."
"Find a purple rock?" Armstrong asked.
"Yep."
"Hey, you're standing on a big rock now."
Armstrong, responding to the world's longest long distance phone call, from President Nixon congratulating them:
"Thank you, Mr. President, it's a great honor and a privilege for us to be here representing not only the United States but men of peace of all nations, men with interest and curiosity and men with the vision for the future."
The best way to move on the moon?
Armstrong: "You have to be careful where the center of mass is. Like a football player, you just have to get out to the side and cut a little bit."
Aldrin: "It's the so-called kangaroo hop. But it does work."
Armstrong, telling Aldrin to move toward the television camera:
"Good work. Good show. Hey, whoa, whoa, stop. Back up."
Armstrong's description of the moonscape:
"It has a stark beauty all its own. It's like much of the high desert of the United States. It's different, but it's very pretty out here."
And after becoming accustomed to the lighter gravity on the moon, Armstrong decided:
"Isn't it fun?"