The first manned mission to the moon took place in 1969, specifically during the Apollo 11 mission. Launched by NASA on July 16, 1969, the mission aimed to achieve President John F. Kennedy's goal of landing humans on the Moon and returning them safely to Earth. On July 20, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made history by landing the Lunar Module, Eagle, on the Moon's surface, with Armstrong famously declaring, "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind." The successful mission marked a monumental achievement in space exploration and humanity's quest for knowledge beyond Earth.