The United Nations General Assembly has designated July 20 as International Moon Day, to be celebrated annually. This date commemorates the historic moment when humans first landed on the Moon during NASA\’s Apollo 11 mission on July 20, 1969. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made history by touching down on the lunar surface at a location they named Tranquility Base.
In 2021, the UN\’s General Assembly officially declared this day as an international observance in its resolution 76/76, titled \”International cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.\” The designation of International Moon Day serves as a global celebration, not only to honor past achievements but also as a testament to future endeavors in moon exploration.
The Apollo 11 mission, a significant milestone in human space exploration, had an ambitious objective—to fulfill the vision set by US President John F. Kennedy in 1961 by successfully landing humans on the Moon and safely bringing them back to Earth.
NASA\’s remarkable achievement surpassed Kennedy\’s goal in just over eight years. On July 16, 1969, the Apollo 11 mission launched from Cape Canaveral with astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin on board. Two days later, Armstrong famously uttered the iconic words while stepping onto the Moon\’s surface, \”That\’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.\”
During their approximately 21 hours on the lunar surface, Armstrong and Aldrin collected around 21.5 kilograms of lunar material, which they brought back to Earth. Meanwhile, Michael Collins skillfully piloted the Columbia Command Module in lunar orbit. At the end of their mission, Armstrong and Aldrin rejoined Collins in the Columbia Command Module and safely returned to Earth, accomplishing a historic feat that forever changed humanity\’s perspective on space exploration.
