Featured moment · World history

Apollo 11 Moon landing

20 July 1969

NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to land and walk on the Moon.

Buzz Aldrin standing near the Apollo 11 Lunar Module on the lunar surface — Photograph: NASA / Wikimedia Commons. View image, creator and licence on Wikimedia Commons.

What happened?

Apollo 11 landed on the Moon on 20 July 1969. Armstrong stepped onto the surface later that day (21 July in UTC), followed by Aldrin, while Michael Collins orbited above.

Why it mattered

The mission demonstrated achievements in engineering, computing and international communication, and remains a defining moment in space exploration.