The Apollo 11 Moon Landing: Humanity's Giant Leap
On July 20, 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the Moon, fulfilling President Kennedy's audacious challenge and forever changing our place in the cosmos.
By Archive Editorial · 29 June 1969
The Apollo 11 mission stands as one of humanity's greatest achievements. Launched on July 16, 1969, the Saturn V rocket carried Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin on a journey of nearly 240,000 miles to the Moon.
At 4:17 p.m. EDT on July 20, the lunar module Eagle touched down on the Sea of Tranquility. Armstrong's famous words — 'That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind' — were broadcast live to an estimated 600 million viewers worldwide.
The astronauts collected 47.5 pounds of lunar material, deployed scientific experiments, and planted the American flag before returning safely to Earth on July 24, 1969.