Neil Armstrong, first man on the moon (15pics)

Armstrong poses in his spacesuit in his official NASA portrait in the days ahead of Apollo 11's historic mission.

Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface at 02:56:15 (UT) on 21 July 1969, stating, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”. This picture, taken by fellow astronaut Edwin Buzz Aldrin, shows Armstrong next to the lunar module Eagle during the mission.

Buzz Aldrin poses for a photograph beside the US flag during the Apollo 11 mission.

Mr Armstrong inside the lunar module after his historic walk on the surface of the moon.

President Richard Nixon greets the returning Apollo 11 astronauts, July 24, 1969.

Left to right: Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin Buzz Aldrin, the crew of the lunar module Apollo 11, at the Kennedy Space Centre, Florida, in 1969.

Mr Armstrong leads the team to the van that will take the crew to the rocket for launch to the moon at Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida, 1969.

Portrait of Mr Armstrong, taken in Washington last year.

Mr Armstong launching the Centennial of Flight exhibition in New York in 2003.

President Barack Obama with, from left to right, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins and Neil Armstrong in the Oval Office of the White House in 2009.

The Queen and Prince Andrew meeting Mr Armstrong at Buckingham Palace in 1969.

Mr Armstrong and David R. Scott arrive at Complex 19 for a simulated test in preparation for flight in 1966.

Mr Armstrong takes part in a suiting up exercise at Cape Kennedy, Florida, in preparation for the Gemini 8 flight.

Mr Armstrong is helped out of Apollo 11 during training in 1960.