Who commanded Apollo 11’s first crewed landing on the Moon in 1969?

Neil Armstrong commanded Apollo 11’s first crewed landing on the Moon in 1969.

Armstrong was the mission commander, while Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin served as lunar module pilot and Michael Collins remained in lunar orbit in the command module. Armstrong and Aldrin landed in the lunar module Eagle on 20 July 1969, while Collins orbited above them.

Armstrong became the first human to step onto the lunar surface, followed shortly afterward by Aldrin. The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center on 16 July 1969 and returned safely to Earth on 24 July.

A common mix-up is to name Aldrin as commander because he was the second person on the Moon, but Armstrong held command of Apollo 11. Armstrong had previously flown in the Gemini 8 mission and had worked as a test pilot before joining NASA.