The Moon Landing

On July 20, 1969, people walked on the moon for the first time ever. This was called Apollo 11. Three American astronauts flew to the moon in a rocket. Two of them stepped out onto the moon's surface. Millions of people watched on TV back on Earth.

The Three Astronauts

Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins were the three astronauts. Armstrong was the first to step onto the moon. Aldrin followed him. Collins stayed in the spaceship orbiting the moon. They spent about 21 hours on the moon's surface.

A famous photo of an astronaut walking on the moon.
A famous photo of an astronaut walking on the moon. (Neil A. Armstrong / Wikimedia Commons)

Famous Words

When Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon, he said something famous. He said, 'That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.' The astronauts collected moon rocks to bring back to Earth. They also planted an American flag on the moon.

Fun Facts

  • The astronauts' footprints on the moon will stay there for millions of years.
  • The Saturn V rocket that took them was 363 feet tall, taller than a football field.
  • About 650 million people watched the moon landing on TV.

Did You Know?

The astronauts left a sign on the moon that says, 'We came in peace for all mankind.'