First Moon Landing Forever Forever Stamps

Value: 78¢ 1-ounce First-Class Rate (Forever)
Issue Date: July 19, 2019
First Day City: Canaveral, FL
Printed by: Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Pane of 24

On July 21, 1969, the world watched as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took humanity’s first steps on the Moon — a historic achievement more than a decade in the making and the result of the dedication of over 400,000 scientists, engineers, and technicians.

This triumph grew out of the Space Race, ignited in 1957 when the Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite. Determined to lead in space exploration, President John F. Kennedy set a bold national goal in 1961: to land a man on the Moon and return him safely to Earth before the end of the decade.

After years of innovation, the Saturn V rocket launched Apollo 11 on July 16, 1969. Four days later, the lunar module Eagle separated from the command module Columbia and began its descent. As the craft approached the surface, Neil Armstrong took manual control to avoid hazardous terrain, landing with only seconds of fuel to spare.

Hours later, Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface, declaring, “That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.” The Apollo 11 mission made history, secured America’s lead in space exploration, and opened a new chapter in humanity’s journey beyond Earth.