The Apollo 11 moon landing, in photos

Fifty years ago, Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin made history when they became the first humans to set foot on the moon.

Their mission, Apollo 11, was considered an American victory in the Cold War and subsequent space race, meeting President John F. Kennedy’s goal of “landing a man on the moon and returning him safely” before the end of the decade.

More than half a billion people watched on television as Armstrong climbed down the ladder of the Eagle lunar lander and proclaimed: “That’s one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind.”

The CNN film “Apollo 11” explores the exhilaration of this moon landing through newly discovered and restored archival footage. Watch it Saturday, July 20, at 9 p.m. ET.