Fortieth Anniversary of the First Moon Landing

July 20 marks the fortieth anniversary of that historic moment in 1969 when astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon.

Astronauts Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin left the Apollo 11 command module, piloted by Michael Collins, in orbit in the lunar module Eagle, and at 4:18 p.m. EDT, Armstrong announced to a the world that “The Eagle has landed.” Armstrong was the first to leave the module and step out onto the surface of the moon, with the historic words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Aldrin followed Armstrong down the ladder to become the second man to stand on the moon. They returned safely to Apollo 11 and to earth, leaving behind a leaving a plaque inscribed with the words: “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon, July 1969 AD. We came in peace for all mankind.”

• Apollo 11 Booklist — Check the library catalog to read more about the Apollo 11 astronauts and this historic event
• July 20, 1969: One Giant Leap For Mankind — NASA’s page honoring this historic event
• Apollo 11 Partial Restoration HD Video Streams — View the videos of the event