The Apollo 11 mission launched from the Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida, July 16, 1969, and made history four days later when astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin walked on the moon. Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the moon at 4:16 p.m. EDT, and Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon at 10:38 p.m. EDT.

The first manned flight to the moon occurred seven months prior to Apollo 11. On Dec. 21, 1968, Apollo 8, carrying Frank Borman, James Lovell and William Anders, launched atop the Saturn V rocket from the Kennedy Space Center. On Dec. 24, the crew entered lunar orbit and were the first humans to ever orbit another celestial object and the first to see an Earthrise. The astronauts celebrated the milestone with a special Christmas Eve broadcast. The next two Apollo mission, Apollo 9 and Apollo 10, served to test the feasibility of a lunar landing.

Apollo 9 tested the crewed lunar module, or LM, the joined command and service module, or CSM, and the portable life support system. Apollo 10 served as the "dress rehearsal" and completed every aspect of a lunar mission except for the landing. Astronauts Thomas Stafford, Eugene Cernan and John Young orbited the moon and performed a descent to nine miles above the lunar surface.

Armstrong served as Apollo 11 commander with Michael Collins serving as command module pilot and Aldrin serving as lunar module pilot. The astronauts performed the first lunar orbit insertion maneuver July 19 and the LM performed the descent orbit insertion July 20. The "Eagle" landed in the Sea of Tranquility at 4:16 p.m. EDT. Armstrong and Aldrin spent 21 hours, 36 minutes on the moon and returned to Earth on July 24, 1969.

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Apollo 11 - Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong becomes the first man on the moon on July 20, 1969. NASA
Apollo 11 Mission Patch
The Apollo 11 mission patch. NASA
Apollo 11 Crew
Left to right, the Apollo 11 crew consisted of commander Neil Armstrong, command module pilot Michael Collins and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin. NASA
Apollo 11 Launch
Apollo 11 launched atop the Saturn V launch vehicle. NASA
Apollo 11
Buzz Aldrin is seen inside the Apollo 11 Lunar Module. NASA
Apollo 11 Broadcast
Neil Armstong's first steps on the moon was broadcast to millions around the world. NASA
Apollo 11
Neil Armstrong took this iconic photo of Buzz Aldrin on the moon during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity. NASA
Apollo 11
Neil Armstrong talks to President Richard Nixon from "Tranquility Base." NASA
Apollo 11 Bootprint
Buzz Aldrin left his bootprint on the moon. NASA
Apollo 11
The view of the edge of the lunar surface, known as the moon limb, as well as Earth and the Lunar Module during ascent. NASA/Johnson Space Center Media Archive
Apollo 11 Recovery
The Apollo 11 crwew splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969. NASA