When the Soviet Union launched the first satellite, Sputnik 1, in 1957, the United States felt immediate pressure to exceed their technological capabilities. The Eisenhower Administration created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration the following year, and President Kennedy set the tenacious goal of sending a manned space flight to the moon. After a series of tests, Apollo 11 finally touched down on the surface of the moon, and Neil Armstrong took the first steps on July 20, 1969.

Our guide to historical events, the “Moments in American History” booklet, has more information about the first moon landing as well as other significant occasions that exemplify the American spirit and shaped the course of our future as a nation.