BRUSSELS: European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso hailed Neil Armstrong on Sunday as "a source of inspiration for all mankind" a day after the world's first man on the moon died aged 82.
"Like many others around the planet, I vividly remember that night when Neil Armstrong, together with his crew member Buzz Aldrin, landed on the 'Sea of Tranquillity'," Barroso said in a statement.
"Their Apollo mission became a powerful symbol for those who want to explore the unknown and make their dreams come true," he added.
"Neil Armstrong has left an eternal footprint on our memories. His achievements captured our imagination forever and remain a source of inspiration for all mankind."
Armstrong, who died from complications following cardiac bypass surgery, inspired a generation to reach for the stars when he gingerly bounced on the moon's surface in his chunky spacesuit, watched by an estimated 500 million television viewers.
After retiring from NASA in 1971, he taught aerospace engineering, served on the boards of several companies and worked at NASA headquarters.
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