Man first landed on the moon on July 20, 1969, during NASA's Apollo 11 mission. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first and second humans to step onto the lunar surface, while Michael Collins remained in lunar orbit aboard the command module. Armstrong famously declared, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" as he descended from the lunar module onto the moon. This historic achievement marked a significant milestone in the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union and represented a remarkable feat of engineering and exploration.