Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., the lunar module pilot of the first lunar landing mission, stands next to a United States flag July 20, 1969 during an Apollo 11 Extravehicular Activity (EVA) on the surface of the Moon. The 30th anniversary of Apollo's moon landing is celebrated July 20, 1999.
The Apollo 11 moon landing celebrates its 50th anniversary on July 20.
Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin famously became the first two men to land and walk on the moon during the mission, with Armstrong securing his place in history by saying with his first step, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Apollo 11 made a reality a goal announced by President John F. Kennedy of landing a man on the moon before the end of the 1960s.
In honor of this iconic moment in American History, scroll through these 50 images from Apollo 11 in honor of its golden anniversary.