Armstrong First

Blue and red text on a cream background; a blue stylized letter "A" is above the blue text and the word "first" is underlined in red

On July 20th, 1969, Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, becoming the first man to achieve the feat. He is credited as saying, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” as he stepped out of the Apollo 11 NASA lunar module and onto the moon’s crust.

Much promotional merchandise was manufactured and sold for the momentous event, including commemorative t-shirts, stamps, coins, and buttons. People gathered together to watch the landing, which was televised and celebrated. But for some Americans, simply watching and listening to the televised event was not enough; for these Americans, “Moon Parties” satisfied this itch, as did recording their thoughts and memories in letters and photographs.

Armstrong and his fellow astronaut, Buzz Aldrin, returned to Earth as heroes.