‘ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND’

On a fateful summer night exactly 40 years ago today, with the entire world watching in anticipation, astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person to ever walk on the moon, uttering an indelible phrase that will forever reverberate throughout history.

“One small step for man. One giant leap for mankind.”

Today NASA, America and the world commemorate the 40th anniversary of the day the three-person Apollo 11 crew fulfilled President Kennedy’s promise “of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.”

With more than 53 million households tuned in on July 20, 1969 — roughly 93 percent of those with televisions at the time — Armstrong, along with crew mate Buzz Aldrin, made the famous first Moon walk in the “Sea of Tranquility” at 10:56 p.m. Eastern Time.

“Never has there been before nor will there be anything like this pioneering adventure,” reflected legendary CBS anchor Walter Cronkite, who brought the lunar landing to the world live in 1969. “Everybody there was up-cast; we were looking toward the stars, looking toward the Moon.”

Cronkite, who spurred the excitement surrounding the Apollo 11 mission by fully embracing it on air from beginning to end, sadly passed away Friday.

“When Walter rejoiced over man landing on the Moon, America rejoiced with him,” said Cronkite’s colleague Ted Koppel.

All three Apollo 11 crew members — Armstrong, Aldrin, and Michael Collins — are still living and will meet with President Obama later today.

The History Channel will re-live the lunar landing experience tonight at 8:30 p.m. with “Live from ‘69: Moon Landing,” which will replay Cronkite’s coverage of the event as viewers saw in 40 years ago.