The Space Program: Apollo 11

In a speech to Congress in May of 1961, Kennedy expressed his ambitious goal for the nation: "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth." Though the beloved president did not live to see the day, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr, successfully landed on the Earth's moon on July 20th, 1969.

Aldrin on the moon's surface

Millions watched on television, and thousands gathered to witness the fateful day in United States' history. On July 16th, 1969, Apollo 11 was launched into space, and on July 19th, 1969, went into full orbit around the moon. After 30 revolutions, the three astronauts landed on the surface of the moon. Neil Armstrong was the first to walk on the surface, placing his left foot out first. The first footage, though of low quality, was received in Australia and then broadcasted to over 6oo million people. Upon setting foot on the moon, Armstrong famously said, "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind." The astronauts managed to fill up two boxes worth of lunar surface substance to bring back to Earth.

This mission to space was not merely for the recreational purposes of the United States government. In fact, this mission all a part of the grand Space Race between America and the Soviet Union. Three days before the launching of Apollo 11, the Soviet Union launched Luna 15, which crashed onto the surface of the moon a day before Apollo 11's scheduled launch.

Kennedy never did live to see the day his words were fulfilled just at the turn of the decade, but the nation and the rest of the world witnessed the day where boundaries were broken.