Apollo 8 was the first Apollo mission to carry astronauts around the Moon and return them safely to Earth without landing.
Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders launched on December 21, 1968. They entered lunar orbit on December 24 and completed ten orbits before beginning the journey home. Their mission proved that the Saturn V, spacecraft, navigation systems, and crew could operate together at lunar distance.
Apollo 8 also produced the famous Earthrise photograph, taken by Anders while the spacecraft orbited the Moon. The mission did not include a lunar module, so no landing attempt was possible. Apollo 10 later rehearsed landing procedures in lunar orbit.