On what date did Apollo 11 land humans on the Moon at the Sea of Tranquility?

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Apollo 11 landed humans on the Moon at the Sea of Tranquility on July 20, 1969.

The lunar module Eagle, carrying Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, touched down at 20:17 UTC. Michael Collins remained in lunar orbit aboard the command module Columbia. Armstrong became the first person to walk on the Moon several hours after landing, with Aldrin following shortly afterward.

Apollo 11 launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 16 atop a Saturn V rocket. The crew spent about three days traveling to the Moon before entering lunar orbit and beginning the descent. They collected lunar samples, deployed scientific instruments, and planted an American flag before leaving the surface.

The crew returned safely to Earth on July 24, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. Because local time zones differed, some viewers in the United States saw the first steps during the early hours of July 21, but the lunar landing itself occurred on July 20 UTC.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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