The First Moon Landing — Passage and Quiz

Firsthand Account: Buzz Aldrin's Recollection

As we approached the lunar surface, I could hardly believe what I was seeing. The Moon's landscape was like nothing I'd ever encountered – stark, gray, and pockmarked with craters. When Neil and I stepped onto the surface, the feeling was indescribable. The silence was absolute, broken only by our communications with Mission Control. Looking back at Earth from the Moon's surface was a profound experience that changed my perspective forever.

Secondhand Account: New York Times Article, July 21, 1969

On July 20, 1969, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin became the first humans to land on the Moon. Their spacecraft, Eagle, touched down on the lunar surface at 4:17 p.m. EDT. Armstrong's first step onto the Moon's surface was broadcast live to millions of viewers around the world. The astronauts spent about two and a half hours outside the spacecraft, collecting samples and taking photographs. This historic achievement marked a major milestone in space exploration and human history.