What Happened on July 20?

Humans first walked on the Moon on this day, and a robot later landed on Mars. Explorer Edmund Hillary and guitarist Carlos Santana were also born.

1881 — Sitting Bull returns from Canada and surrenders

Lakota leader Sitting Bull came back to the United States after four years in Canada and surrendered at Fort Buford. Read the full story →
1917 — First U.S. draft lottery of World War I drawn

Government officials pulled numbered capsules to decide which young men would be called to serve in World War I. Read the full story →
1944 — Attempted assassination of Hitler fails

German officer Claus von Stauffenberg placed a bomb at Hitler's headquarters; the explosion did not stop the dictator. Read the full story →
1969 — Apollo 11 astronauts walk on the Moon

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the Moon while Michael Collins orbited above. Read the full story →
1969 — First step on the Moon watched by millions on live TV

An estimated 600 million people watched Armstrong's first steps live, the largest TV audience in history at that time. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Edmund Hillary (1919–2008) · Carlos Santana (1947) · Gisele Bündchen (1980) · Julianne Hough (1988)

National Moon Day · International Chess Day · National Lollipop Day · Space Exploration Day