A giant leap for mankind
Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, landed in New York City’s Rockefeller Center on Tuesday for the opening of an exhibit marking the 100th year since the Wright brothers’ flight in 1903.
Amid replicas of historical and modern aircraft and engines, Armstrong praised the determination of Wilbur and Orville Wright, and explained a model of his own moon-landing pod to an audience that included students from New York’s School for Discovery.
Astronauts Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, who together rode Apollo 11 to a landing on the lunar surface in July 1969, were the center of attention for spectators at the exhibit.
The exhibit, “Centennial of Flight,” commemorates innovations in flight over the last century.
It will run through Aug. 18 and is sponsored by General Electric, NASA and the Air Force.
It includes the replica of a 75-foot tall Mercury Redstone rocket that occupies the plaza space where the Rockefeller Christmas tree stands at holiday season.
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