5 Facts About the First Walk on the Moon

July 20, 2012 is the 43rd anniversary of Neil Armstrong's historic first walk on the moon, something that forever changed space exploration. In honor of this auspicious occasion, we present five facts to know about the first walk on the moon.

Information from History.com.

• 10:56 p.m.—It was at 10:56 p.m. that Armstrong said those infamous words to Americans while being 240,000 miles away from Earth—"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
• July 19—The Apollo 11—on which astronauts Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin Jr. and Michael Collins were traveling to the moon—entered the moon's orbit on July 19 before preparing to land on the surface.
• 1:46 p.m.—At that time, the Eagle lunar module separated from the Apollo 11, and, two hours later, descended down to the moon surface.
• Camera Followed—As Armstrong descended down the ladder from the Eagle, a television camera recorded his movements and broadcast his status to millions of Americans watching from home.
• Items Left—While on the surface of the moon, Armstrong and Aldrin left a United States flag and a plaque with the words, "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot on the moon—July 1969 A.D—We came in peace for all mankind."