The major planetary exploration milestone achieved with the Apollo missions in the late 1960s was the successful landing of humans on the Moon. Apollo 11, conducted in July 1969, marked a historic moment when astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the lunar surface. This achievement fulfilled President John F. Kennedy's earlier pledge to land a man on the Moon before the decade's end, showcasing American ingenuity during the Space Race. The missions advanced scientific understanding and inspired future explorations of space and technology.