July 20, 1969 – A Giant Leap for Mankind
photos courtesy of Buzz Aldrin Apollo 11
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, “Contact light, engine stop.” With those words, the Apollo 11 lunar module Eagle touched down at Tranquility Base on the Moon, marking one of the greatest achievements in human history. Hours later, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the lunar surface, while Michael Collins orbited above in the command module Columbia.
This extraordinary feat was the result of years of dedication, innovation, and teamwork by hundreds of thousands of scientists, engineers, and visionaries determined to make President John F. Kennedy’s bold 1961 challenge a reality:
“We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard…because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win.”
Buzz Aldrin reflects on that monumental moment with pride: “I couldn’t be prouder to have completed this mission with the hundreds of thousands of people who helped get us to the Moon and back home. God bless the USA and all of humankind.”
Buzz a New Jersey native graduated from Montclair High School in 1947,Aldrin turned down a full scholarship offer from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (which he would later attend for graduate school), and went to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. The nickname “Buzz” originated in childhood: the younger of his two elder sisters mispronounced “brother” as “buzzer”, and this was shortened to Buzz. Aldrin made it his legal first name in 1988.
In 1981 with the coaxing of Jerry DeSimone the Ridgewood 4th of July Committee President, Buzz Aldrin became the Grand Marshall of the Ridgewood 4th of July Parade and in 2016 Buzz made it back to town to sign his book: No Dream Is Too High at Bookends in Ridgewood
The Journey to the Moon Begins
On July 16, 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins sat atop the massive Saturn V rocket at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A. Standing 363 feet tall, the three-stage rocket roared to life at 9:32 a.m. EDT, generating 7.5 million pounds of thrust to lift the crew into Earth orbit.
After just one and a half orbits, Apollo 11 received the “go” for Translunar Injection, setting course for the Moon. Three days later, the crew entered lunar orbit, preparing for the historic landing.
The Descent to Tranquility Base
On July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin boarded the lunar module Eagle to begin their descent to the Moon’s surface. As they approached the Sea of Tranquility, Armstrong manually piloted the craft to avoid a field of boulders. In the tense final seconds, alarms sounded from the overloaded onboard computer.
With only 30 seconds of fuel remaining, Armstrong safely landed the Eagle and radioed the iconic message:
“Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.”
Mission Control erupted in relief and celebration.
First Steps on Another World
At 10:56 p.m. EDT, watched by over half a billion people worldwide, Neil Armstrong descended the ladder and declared:
“That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Moments later, Buzz Aldrin joined him on the Moon’s surface, describing it as “magnificent desolation.” The two astronauts explored for two and a half hours, collecting samples, taking photographs, and leaving behind:
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An American flag
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A patch honoring the fallen Apollo 1 crew
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A plaque reading, “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon. July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.”
A Safe Return and a New Era of Exploration
After completing their mission, Armstrong and Aldrin lifted off in the Eagle to rejoin Michael Collins in lunar orbit. Together, they returned to Earth, splashing down safely in the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969.
President Kennedy’s challenge had been met: humans had walked on the Moon and returned home safely.
In the years that followed, 10 more astronauts would walk on the lunar surface. The final Apollo astronaut, Gene Cernan, left the Moon in 1972 with these words:
“We leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind.”
The Legacy of Apollo 11
Apollo 11 remains a symbol of human ingenuity, courage, and collaboration. As Buzz Aldrin reflects, the mission succeeded because of the hundreds of thousands of dedicated individuals who made sure every detail was perfect.
The Moon landing was more than just a technological achievement—it was the beginning of a new era of space exploration, inspiring generations to reach beyond Earth and into the stars.
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