Today is July 20th, and exactly 50 years ago Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon. To celebrate this historic event here is a selection of Apollo 11 mission pictures. And some of them are more rare than the pictures you can probably see everywhere in magazines as most of them are old NASA pictures, with the others coming from LIFE magazine.
On the first picture below, an aerial view of the launching pads at Cape Kennedy in 1964. In the upper left hand corner, the huge Vehicle Assembly Building under construction where the giant Saturn 5 rockets will be assembled years later.
Here is the man who designed the Saturn 5 rocket, Wernher Von Braun, who used to work for the Nazi German army and created the V2 rockets which were used to hit London before being caught by the Americans at the end of WWII, and since worked for the U.S Space program and NASA.
A rare LIFE picture of Neil Armstrong at home in March 1969, four months before he became the first man to walk on the moon.
Astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin in space suit, practicing with a movie camera he will use on the upcoming Apollo XI lunar mission.
A picture of the preparation of famous Lunar Module For Apollo 11.
Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins and Neil Armstrong in a great NASA picture with a Moon model.
Cover of LIFE magazine dated 07-25-1969 with logo & legend "Leaving for the Moon" and picture of astronaut Neil Armstrong in spacesuit waving.
Composite of 5 frame shots of the gantry retracting while the Saturn V boosters lift off to carry the Apollo 11 astronauts to the Moon.
Jan Armstrong, wife of Apollo 11 astronaut, Neil Armstrong, gazes upon white trail in sky of Apollo 11 blastoff, from boat, with son.
Launching of Apollo 11 viewed from across river by group of people.
Fish-eye lens view of spectators watching Apollo 11 blast-off.
Apollo 11 Lunar Module in landing configuration, as viewed from Command & Service Module.
Cover of LIFE magazine special issue (08-11-1969) entitled ""To the Moon and Back." with photo of reflections on astronauts facemask.
Astronaut Edwin Aldrin backing down stairs from lunar module to be 2nd man on the moon.
Astronaut Buzz Aldrin preparing to deploy the Early Apollo Scientific Experiments Package (EASEP) during Apollo 11 lunar surface extravehicular activity on moon.
Buzz Aldrin standing on moon beside part. deployed Early Apollo Scientific Experimental Package with Lunar Module & newly-erected American flag in the background.
"Buzz" Aldrin standing on moon as he deploys seismic-testing equipment (Early Apollo Scientific Experimental Package or EASEP) with Lunar Module "Eagle" in background.
Buzz Aldrin stands beside an American flag at Tranquility Base on the surface of the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. July, 1969 Tranquility Base, Mare Tranquillitatus, Moon.
Yes, they walked on the Moon and since their footprints are there forever as there is no wind on the Moon.
Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin inside Apollo 11 Lunar Module during Lunar landing mission.
Apollo 11 lunar module ascent stage photographed fromcommand service module during rendezvous in lunar orbit. Planet Earth visible above the lunar horizon.
Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong in space capsule after his historic walk on moon.
It's one thing to go on the Moon, but then you have to come back to Earth! Here is some pictures of the splashdown.
Joan Aldrin, wife of Buzz Aldrin applauding her husband, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, as she watches TV coverage of splashdown at end of mission.
Overall of scene surrounding quarantined astronauts after splashdown of Apollo XI mission.
Apollo 11 astronauts Armstrong, Collins and Aldrin peering out window of quarantine room aboard recovery ship Hornet following splashdown.
The three Astronauts were celebrated by 5 Million people in New York with an incredible ticket parade...
...and then went all around the world for a huge celebration. Here, astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins are parading through India on the Giantstep-Apollo 11 Presidential Goodwill Tour to promote American willingness to share space knowledge.
Cover of LIFE magazine dated 08-08-1969 with logo & picture of American flag planted on the moon.
A picture of the plaque they left on the Moon.
Here is a great video where you'll be able to see the main images of the Apollo XI mission.
60 minutes released this other video with Neil Armstrong talking in his own words about the Apollo 11 mission .
I would like to end with a rare interview of legendary Neil Armstrong by the BBC, filmed just months later, in 1970.
Pictures: copyright NASA and TIME-LIFE
Videos: copyright NASA, 60 Minutes, BBC
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