In a historic speech on May 25, President John F. Kennedy signals the start of Nasa's Apollo space program as well as his plan to see an American on the Moon by the end of the decade.
For the first time, American TV viewers get to view the Moon's cratered surface from images transmitted by NASA's unmanned probe, Ranger 7.
NASA's Apollo 8 orbits the Moon 10 times as the first manned flight while Americans watch on television.
The world breathlessly watches as Apollo 11's three-man team becomes the first humans to step onto the Moon's surface.
NASA shuts down its Apollo program with a final manned landing — Apollo 17.
No less than five (unmanned) missions are set for between 2020 and 2021. This includes NASA's Mars 2020 rover.