A crowning achievement of modern America is a single event that was televised on July 20th, 1969. Many readers may remember that day, but many more were not yet born. It was a day when America proved again that anything is possible. It was a day heralded by a now iconic astronaut as:

“One small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.”

If you have not guessed yet, that man was Neil Armstrong, and the occasion was the moment that man first set food on the moon, wearing the spacesuits of our own American astronauts. But that day – that achievement – reaches deeper than a single moment by a spacecraft. It would not have been possible without the dedication of thousands of Americans working together.

Landing on the moon was an emblematic moment that represented years of engineering, scientific achievement, and cooperation on the part of countless Americans. From President Kennedy’s call to action at Rice University in 1962, it took Americans less than a decade to walk on the moon. From family members of the crew to the number crunchers and physicists at NASA, landing on the moon was a unifying collaboration that raised the spirits of Americans everywhere and reminded us that we can reach the stars, as long as we have a vision.

There was an astounding amount of meticulous labor that was poured into the Apollo moon mission. Mr. Armstrong’s carefully chosen words convey a wise and unifying sentiment. America, though acting as a leader in the world, acts on behalf of all mankind. This historic moment proved that the beauty of American cooperation is not just in the quality of our accomplishments as a nation, but also in the spirit of unity and welcome that those achievements convey to the whole world.

Many citizens consider the American space program a shining example of the resolve and genius of the American people. While American history is decorated with momentous events, both laudable and terrible, there was an event that unified all people and all nations in wonderment and awe. That event was mankind’s first step on the moon, accomplished by the cooperation of our American space program.

Landing on the moon electrified the world with a sense of unity and pride in human achievement. People across the globe were able to gaze in wonderment at the moon footage, listen to Neil Armstrong’s proclamation that this was a “giant leap for mankind.” This moment in 1969 went beyond nationality and ethnicity. Forgotten were the political distinctions of nations and cold war politics. Landing on the moon was an accomplishment for the entire world.