Fifty-five years this weekend, U.S. astronauts landed on the lunar surface, marking the first time mankind had set foot on the Moon. The lunar module, Eagle, carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on July 20, 1969, and Neil Armstrong stepped on the surface of the Moon a few hours after the Eagle landed, saying "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind". Aldrin emerged from the module about 20 minutes after Armstrong, and the two astronauts proceeded to explore their surroundings and take samples of the lunar surface. They remained on the lunar surface for another 21 and a half hours before the lunar module lifted off the surface.
You can find more history and pictures of the historic human landing on the Moon by going to NASA's website.
(picture: Boot print of astronaut Buzz Aldrin. NASA)
