CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF "ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND"- THE APOLLO 11 MOON LANDING

CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF "ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND"- THE APOLLO 11 MOON LANDING

On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the Moon: an achievement that had long been confined to the realm of science fiction. A breathless world watched as Armstrong stepped onto the Moon’s surface and famously said, “That’s one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind."

During 2019, the United States Postal Service, along with numerous worldwide postal administrations issued stamps celebrating the 50th anniversary of this historic achievement.  Most notably, the USPS' July 2019 Forever stamps featured an iconic Apollo 11 photo of Aldrin standing on the surface of the moon. Armstrong, as the photographer, can be seen in the reflection of Aldrin's helmet visor.The other stamp in the pair uses an image of the moon captured by amateur astronomer Gregory Revera of Huntsville, Alabama. Tranquility Base, the landing site of the Apollo 11 lunar module "Eagle" in the Sea of Tranquility, is denoted on the stamp by a bold yellow dot.

Since the beginning of the space exploration era, stamps commemorating space achievements have been one of the most popular stamp collecting topics.  Many stamps using gold foil, holograms, and even 3D effects have chronicled the exploration of space.

What it takes to be an astronaut: the real 'right stuff'

Apollo 11 astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin salutes the American flag on the surface of the moon on July 20, 1969. Aldrin was the second man to ever step foot on the lunar surface. The first was Neil Armstrong, Apollo 11's mission commander.
Photos: The Apollo 11 moon landing, in photos

Apollo 11 astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin salutes the American flag on the surface of the moon on July 20, 1969. Aldrin was the second man to ever step foot on the lunar surface. The first was Neil Armstrong, Apollo 11's mission commander.

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It took the crew 76 hours to travel 240,000 miles from the Earth to the moon.

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Photos: The Apollo 11 moon landing, in photos

The Apollo 11 spacecraft consisted of a command module, Columbia, and a lunar module, Eagle. This photo, taken from the Eagle lunar module, shows the Columbia command module pulling away near the lunar surface.

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Photos: The Apollo 11 moon landing, in photos
Jul 26th 2020 Alex

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