At 12:51 EDT on July 24, 1969, Apollo 11, the U.S. spacecraft that
had taken the first astronauts to the surface of the moon, safely
returned to Earth.

President Richard M. Nixon was in the central Pacific recovery
area to welcome the Apollo 11 astronauts aboard the USS Hornet,
prime recovery ship for the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing
mission. Already confined to the Mobile Quarantine Facility
are (left to right) Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael
Collins, command module pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar
module pilot.

On July 24, 1998, the director Steven Spielberg’s World War II
epic, Saving Private Ryan, was released in theaters across the 
U.S. The film, which starred Tom Hanks and Matt Damon, was
praised for its authentic portrayal of war and was nominated
for 11 Academy Awards. It took home five Oscars, for Best
Director, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Film Editing
and Best Sound Effects Editing.

Director Steven Spielberg behind the camera.