Apollo 12, the second manned mission to the surface of the
moon,was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with
astronauts Charles Conrad, Jr.; Richard F. Gordon, Jr.;
and Alan L. Bean aboard. 

President Richard Nixon (below center) viewed the liftoff
from Pad A at Cape Canaveral. He was the first president
to attend the liftoff of a manned space flight. 

Commander Charles "Pete" Conrad, Jr.; Command
Module Pilot Richard F. Gordon, Jr.; Lunar Module
Pilot Alan L. Bean.

Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission,was launched with
astronauts Walter M. Schirra, Jr.; Donn F. Eisele; and Walter
Cunningham aboard.

Under the command of Schirra, the crew of Apollo 7 conducted
an 11-day orbit of Earth, during which the crew transmitted the
first live television broadcasts from orbit.

The prime crew of the first manned Apollo space mission
from left to right are: Command Module pilot, Don F. Eisele, Commander, Walter M. Schirra Jr. and Lunar Module pilot,
Walter Cunningham.

The Space Shuttle Discovery took off on its maiden voyage
on this day in history.

For Discovery, the fourth time was the charm: The previous
three launch attempts were scrubbed, with one canceled
just six seconds before liftoff.

That aborted launch — the first of its kind for the Space
Shuttle program — occurred on June 26, 1984.

The mission was called off after an issue was discovered
with one of the main engines. 

Discovery deployed three satellites: the Satellite Business
System SBS-D; the SYCOM IV-2 (also known as LEASAT-2);
and the TELSTAR.

The crew assigned to the mission included (seated left to
right) Richard M. (Mike) Mullane, mission specialist; Steven
A. Hawley, mission specialist; Henry W. Hartsfield,
commander; and Michael L. (Mike) Coats, pilot.
Standing in the rear are Charles D. Walker, payload
specialist; and Judith A. (Judy) Resnik, mission specialist. 

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.

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 crew of Apollo 11, from left, Neil Armstrong, Michael
Collins and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin in 1969. NASA/AP.