Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were a part of the Apollo 11 space mission in July 1969, which was the first manned mission to land on the moon. Armstrong, as commander of the mission, was the first human to step on the moon's surface, famously declaring, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Aldrin followed shortly after, with both astronauts conducting experiments, collecting samples, and planting the American flag on the moon's surface before returning to Earth.