The annual holiday commemorates the anniversary of the first manned mission to the Moon. On July 20, 1969, Americans astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to step foot on the surface of the Moon.
In 1984, the day was proclaimed a holiday by United States President Ronald Reagan. The fifth manned mission of NASA's Apollo program, Apollo 11 was launched from Florida on July 16. It returned to Earth with the 3 astronauts - Armstrong, Aldrin, and Michael Collins on July 24.
The holiday, which is also sometimes called Moon Day, encourages people to learn more about space exploration. It attempts to inspire young adults to consider space sciences and space exploration as careers.
Source: www.lehighvalleylive.com
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