On this day in U.S. History: On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to ever land on the moon. Within 6.5 hours, Armstrong took his first steps on the moon’s surface. As he strode, he famously stated, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
The Mission
On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy called a special joint session of Congress. At this time, the Soviet Union was ahead of the U.S. in space developments. Amid the Cold War, Congress was all-ears. President Kennedy asked that the U.S. commit itself to the goal of landing a man on the moon and getting him back safely. However, the main catch was – Kennedy wanted this goal accomplished before the end of the decade.
Of course, the journey toward success was not without trials and tragedy. On January 27, 1967, three astronauts were killed when fire broke out during a manned launch-pad test. Finally, on July 16, 1969, Armstrong, Aldrin and Michael Collins were successfully launched into space in the Apollo 11 from the Kennedy Space Center.
Moon Landing
While Collins stayed in the command module Columbia, Armstrong and Aldrin descended to the moon in the lunar module, Eagle. Next, the famous phrase “the Eagle has landed” caused an eruption of cheering from Houston mission control. Later that evening, in front of half a billion people, Armstrong started the first moon walk. Aldrin was soon to follow. Fittingly, the astronauts left an American flag, a patch honoring the fallen Apollo 1 crew, and a plaque on one of the Eagle’s legs. The plaque reads, “Here men from planet Earth first set foot upon the moon. July 1969 A.D. We come in peace for all mankind.”
Finally, on July 24, the crew splashed into the ocean off Hawaii’s coast. In the following years, ten more astronauts would have the incredible opportunity to walk on the moon. Astronaut Gene Cernan, commander of the final Apollo mission, left the surface with a meaningful message: “We leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace, and hope for all mankind.”
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Sources: NASA; History.com
Image: AdobeStock
