The United States landed on the moon on July 20, 1969, during the Apollo 11 mission. This monumental event was the culmination of NASA's efforts to meet President John F. Kennedy's 1961 challenge to land a man on the moon before the decade's end. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the lunar surface, while Michael Collins orbited above in the command module. Armstrong's iconic words, “That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind,” symbolized not only a technological achievement but also a moment of national pride and global fascination.