The U.S. Congress passed legislation establishing the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA),
a civilian agency responsible for coordinating America’s
activities in space, on July 29, 1958. NASA has since
sponsored space expeditions, both human and mechanical,
that have yielded vital information about the solar system
and universe. It has also launched numerous earth-orbiting
satellites that have been instrumental in everything from
weather forecasting to navigation to global communications.

NASA was created in response to the Soviet Union’s October
4, 1957 launch of its first satellite, Sputnik I.

Apollo 11 astronauts (L to R) Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong
and Michael Collins.

TIM MAGUIRE

Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012)

At 9:32 a.m. EDT, Apollo 11, the first U.S. lunar landing mission, 
was launched on a historic journey to the surface of the moon.

After traveling 240,000 miles in 76 hours, Apollo 11 entered into
a lunar orbit on July 19.

The Apollo 11, from left, Neil Armstrong, commander;
Michael Collins, module pilot; Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin,
lunar module pilot.

CAMILLE BOHANNON

On July 11, 1914, in his major league debut, George Herman “Babe” Ruth pitches seven strong innings to lead the
Boston Red Sox over the Cleveland Indians, now known
as the Cleveland Guardians), 4-3.

George Herman "Babe" Ruth
(February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948)