Who was the first person on the Moon?
Neil Armstrong was the first person to walk on the Moon, on July 20, 1969, during NASA's Apollo 11 mission. Buzz Aldrin joined him about 20 minutes later.
Armstrong and Aldrin landed in the lunar module Eagle in an area called the Sea of Tranquility. As he stepped onto the surface, Armstrong said: That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. About 600 million people watched the grainy live television broadcast around the world.
The two astronauts spent about two and a half hours outside. They collected rock and soil samples, set up scientific experiments and planted an American flag. Michael Collins stayed in orbit around the Moon in the command module Columbia, waiting to bring them home.
About Neil Armstrong
Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, in 1930. He was a US Navy pilot in the Korean War and a test pilot before joining NASA. He was known as a calm, modest person who avoided fame after the mission. He died in 2012 at age 82.
Did You Know?
The astronauts' footprints are probably still on the Moon, because there is no wind or rain to erase them.