Buzz Aldrin commemorates Apollo 11 moon landing milestone on 56th anniversary with heartfelt message
The 95-year-old, who in 1969 walked on the Moon behind mission commander Neil Armstrong, reminisced about the iconic moment they shared while Michael Collins orbited above in the command module.
"July 20, 1969. "Contact light, engine stop." The Apollo 11 lunar module Eagle touched down at Tranquility Base on the Moon. A few hours later, Neil Armstrong and I stepped foot on the Moon, with Michael Collins orbiting close-by," Aldrin wrote in a post on X.
Aldrin emphasized that this monumental achievement stemmed from years of relentless effort, unwavering dedication, and the teamwork of hundreds of thousands.
"An achievement resulting from years of incalculable effort, commitment, and team work."
Aldrin invoked President John F. Kennedy's powerful challenge to reach the Moon and see Kennedy's "words become 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 goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win, and the others too," Aldrin wrote, sharing Kennedy's speech he had given at Rice University in September 1962.
The speech, delivered to inspire national unity and ambition, set the stage for achieving the decade's most audacious goal.
"Well, space is there, and we're going to climb it, and the Moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And, therefore, as we set sail we ask God's blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked," Kennedy's speech concluded, according to the JFK Library.
Aldrin closed with a message of pride and gratitude, honoring all who made the mission possible and extending his blessings to the United States and all of humanity.
"I couldn't be prouder to have completed this mission with the hundreds of thousands of people that helped get us to the moon and back home. God bless the USA and all of humankind," Aldrin wrote.
Aldrin also shared that Pope Leo XIV spoke with him and his wife, expressing how special the moment was.
"Anca and I were grateful and touched to receive the highest blessing today, from His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV on the 56th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing," Aldrin wrote. "What an honor! We prayed for good health, long life, and prosperity for all humankind."
The Apollo 11 mission was the first in human history to land men on earth's satellite, fulfilling a dream as old as humanity itself.
Armstrong was the first astronaut to step on the lunar surface at 9:56 p.m. ET on July 20, 1969.
He was followed 19 minutes later by Aldrin.
Aldrin is the only one of the three astronauts on the Apollo 11 mission still alive today.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
What to know about the CEO caught embracing an employee on the jumbtron at a Coldplay concert
LONDON (AP) — A routine moment of crowdwork at a Coldplay concert went viral last week when a couple tried to avoid the spotlight after they were caught hugging on the jumbotron. Internet sleuths quickly figured out that they were the CEO and chief people officer of a little-known tech company called Astronomer. The snippet of video set the internet alight, fueling a wave of memes and drawing attention to the erosion of privacy in public spaces. Here are some things to know: What happened at the concert During the concert on Wednesday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, lead singer Chris Martin asked the cameras to scan the crowd for his 'Jumbotron Song,' when he sings a few lines about the people the camera lands on. A man wearing a birthday sash was up first. Two people in banana costumes were highlighted. But in between, something unexpected happened. For several seconds, a couple was shown on the big screen. They were cuddling and smiling, his arms wrapped around her, as she leaned back into him. When they saw themselves on the big screen, her jaw dropped, her hands flew to her face and she spun away from the camera. He ducked out of the frame, as did she. 'Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy,' Martin joked. It didn't end there. Who was involved After the video went viral, the internet got to work. Online sleuths rapidly figured out that the man was Andy Byron, chief executive officer, while she was Kristin Cabot, the chief people officer — in other words, the head of human resources. Astronomer, based in New York, provides big companies with a platform that helps them organize their data. The company at first said little about the incident. In response to an initial inquiry from The Associated Press, Astronomer's spokesman said only that a statement attributed to Byron that circulated online immediately after the incident was a 'fake from a clearly labeled parody account.' The company later confirmed the identities of the couple in a statement to AP. What happened to the CEO In the hours after the video went viral, Byron's name was at one point the most searched term on Google. Astronomer eventually addressed the situation, announcing in a LinkedIn post that Byron had been placed on leave and that the board of directors had launched a formal investigation. The company said a day later that Byron had resigned, and that its cofounder and chief product officer, Pete DeJoy, was tapped as interim CEO while it searches for Byron's successor. 'Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met,' the company said in its post on LinkedIn. Most concert venues warn attendees that they can be film ed It's easy to miss, but most concert venues have signs informing the audience that they could be filmed during the event. Look for them on the walls when you arrive and around the bar areas or toilets. It's common practice especially when bands like to use performances for music videos or concert films. The venue in this case, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, also has a privacy policy online which states: 'When you visit our location or attend or participate in an event at our location, we may capture your image, voice and/or likeness, including through the use of CCTV cameras and/or when we film or photograph you in a public location.' Once captured, a moment can be shared widely In the internet age, such videos — or ones taken on someone's smartphone — can quickly zip around the world. This video rocketed around social media, as people speculated about why the couple dodged the camera. Empathy for the pair and their families was mixed with plenty of snarky commentary and countless memes, with the fake statement from the chief executive generating a lot of additional vitriol. And news reports said that Byron's LinkedIn account was disabled after it was flooded by a wave of comments. 'It's a little bit unsettling how easily we can be identified with biometrics, how our faces are online, how social media can track us — and how the internet has gone from being a place of interaction, to a gigantic surveillance system," said Mary Angela Bock, an associate professor in the University of Texas at Austin's School of Journalism and Media. "We are being surveilled by our social media. They're tracking us in exchange for entertaining us.' _____ AP Business Writer Wyatte Grantham-Philips contributed to this report from New York. Kelvin Chan And Hilary Fox, The Associated Press
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Discovery of ‘enormous' shark fin a sign of foul play in Atlantic
The recent discovery of a fin from an extremely large shark floating in a Connecticut harbor appears to have been an indication of foul play. The Atlantic Shark Institute explained Sunday that the fin was photographed by Bob Tabor, Harbormaster at Lord's Point in Stonington. 'This photo is the tail fin of either a mako shark or great white shark, both prohibited species,' the Atlantic Shark Institute stated via Instagram. 'They can't be kept for any reason. The distance between the tips on the tail were estimated to be between 36' - 42' – absolutely enormous.' The Institute, implying that the shark was poached and processed at sea, was unable to locate the fin after receiving information from from Tabor. The photo appears to show rope still tied to the shark's tail area. ALSO: Fisherman hardly speechless after rare orca encounter off Hawaii NOAA was contacted and, presumably, an investigation has been launched. This article originally appeared on For The Win: Discovery of 'enormous' shark fin a sign of foul play in Atlantic Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Number of dead gray whales in San Francisco Bay highest since 2000, scientists say
Scientists said the number of gray whales found dead in San Francisco Bay has reached the highest in a quarter century, with the latest incident taking place earlier this month. According to the Marine Mammal Center and the California Academy of Sciences, the center received reports of a whale underneath the Richmond Long Wharf, which is adjacent to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge on the afternoon of July 7. A responder confirmed the presence of the whale, which was determined to be a subadult female. On July 10, the whale was towed to Angel Island State Park. The following day, a team of 10 scientists performed a necropsy on the whale. "The main finding was hemorrhaging on the animal's left lateral side between the head and pectoral fin, concentrated near the skull, consistent with blunt force trauma due to a suspected vessel strike," the Marin Mammal Center said in a statement. Scientists said the whale was 37-feet long, whose body was in "average" condition based on the fat stores and blubber layer. "This latest gray whale caught everyone a bit by surprise given how late in the season it is and the fact that we had not sighted the species in the bay in nearly two weeks," said Kathi George, the center's Director of Cetacean Conservation Biology. According to the center, the whale was the 21st dead gray whale found in Bay Area waters so far this year, the most since 2000. Of the 21 whales, five were found dead in just one week in May. Scientists noted the number of gray whale sightings in the Bay Area reached an "unusually high number" in 2025, with more than 35 confirmed via photo identification. By comparison, only six gray whales were seen in the bay in all of 2024. A recent population estimate by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found continued decline in eastern north Pacific gray whale numbers, with about 13,000 whales, the lowest since the 1970s. George also urged boaters to be careful while navigating the bay. "With the bay and our immediate coast serving as a shared space for commerce and increasing whale activity, including humpback whales, it's vital that all boaters, from large commercial vessels to sailboats, be whale aware. If you see a blow, go slow," George said.
