Who was the first astronaut to walk on the moon?

Neil Armstrong was the first astronaut to walk on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission on July 20, 1969. As the commander of the mission, he became the first human to set foot on the lunar surface, famously stating, “That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.” This event marked a significant milestone in space exploration and the history of NASA, symbolizing the achievement of landing humans on another celestial body.

While Buzz Aldrin joined him shortly after on the moon, his role was as the second astronaut to step onto the surface. Yuri Gagarin, on the other hand, made history as the first human in space in 1961, but he did not walk on the moon. Michael Collins was the third member of the Apollo 11 crew who orbited the moon in the command module while Armstrong and Aldrin explored the surface. Armstrong's historic step on the moon thus stands out as a defining moment in space exploration history, solidifying his place in this important chapter.