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The first human landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969 during NASA’s Apollo 11 mission, with Neil Armstrong becoming the first person to walk on the lunar surface.
- Date: July 20, 1969 (landing)
- Mission: Apollo 11 (NASA)
- Astronauts: Neil Armstrong (first), Buzz Aldrin (second), Michael Collins (orbit)
- Landing time: ~20:17 UTC on July 20, 1969
- First step: ~02:56 UTC on July 21, 1969 (10:56 p.m. EDT, July 20)
- All models state that the first human moon landing occurred on July 20, 1969 during Apollo 11.
- All agree Neil Armstrong was the first person to step onto the lunar surface, followed by Buzz Aldrin.
- Some models give the exact time of the first step as July 21, 1969 (02:56 UTC), while others emphasize the U.S. date of July 20, 1969 (10:56 p.m. EDT), leading to minor phrasing differences.
The First Human Moon Landing
Date & Mission
The historic lunar landing occurred on July 20, 1969 as part of NASA’s Apollo 11 mission, which launched on July 16 and returned on July 24 12.Crew
- Neil Armstrong – Mission commander, first person to set foot on the Moon.
- Buzz Aldrin – Lunar Module Pilot, second person to walk on the Moon.
- Michael Collins – Command Module Pilot, remained in lunar orbit.
Landing Details
The Lunar Module Eagle touched down in the Sea of Tranquility at ≈20:17 UTC on July 20, 1969. This marks the moment humanity first stood on another celestial body 13.First Steps
Armstrong exited the Eagle and took his first steps at 02:56 UTC on July 21, 1969, which corresponds to 10:56 p.m. EDT on July 20 in the United States. He famously said, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” Aldrin followed shortly thereafter 145.Significance
The event fulfilled President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 goal of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth before the decade’s end, representing a monumental achievement in human space exploration.
Quick Facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Landing date | July 20, 1969 |
| Mission | Apollo 11 |
| First astronaut on the Moon | Neil Armstrong |
| Second astronaut on the Moon | Buzz Aldrin |
| Orbital astronaut | Michael Collins |
| Landing time (UTC) | ~20:17 UTC |
| First step time (UTC) | 02:56 UTC (July 21) |
| First step time (EDT) | 10:56 p.m. (July 20) |
For further reading, see NASA’s Apollo 11 page, the Wikipedia entry on the mission, and History.com’s coverage of Armstrong’s first steps.