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That’s one small step for man. One giant leap for mankind.” With those words, Man's history was forever changed. Fifty years ago today, a man stepped onto the surface of the Moon for the first time.
That person was Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong. When his foot touched the surface of the Moon, he spoke his iconic line. Nineteen minutes later, he was joined by Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin who climbed down from the lunar module onto the Sea of Tranquility. Together, they spent more than two hours on the surface, collecting about 47 pounds of moon rocks. High above them, Command Pilot Michael Collins flew the Columbia spacecraft, awaiting their return from the surface.
Please take a moment to explore that extraordinary moment in our history. Here is a collection of media dedicated to the events of July 20, 1969. Watch the retelling of this tale by the three astronauts who made this historic voyage. CBS News explores this amazing story.
Here are more resources to explore this event:
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NASA defines the Apollo 11 mission.
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More NASA Apollo 11 videos, photos, and audio.
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The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum celebrates the mission.
NASA created an interesting podcast series that explores stories told by regular people who expressed their experiences watched the Apollo 11 launch or the lunar landing: