National Archives Celebrates Apollo 11 Moon Landing Anniversary   
Press Release · Monday, July 15, 2019

Washington, DC

The National Archives celebrates the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 launch and mankind’s first steps on the Moon with public programs, film screenings, and a special featured document display.  The programs are free and open to the public and will be held in the William G. McGowan Theater of the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC.  Attendees should use the Special Events entrance on Constitution Avenue at 7th Street, NW.  Metro accessible on the Yellow and Green lines, Archives/Navy Memorial/Penn Quarter station. Reservations are recommended and can be made online. For those without reservations, seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Theater doors open 45 minutes prior to the start of the program. Late seating will not be permitted 20 minutes after the program begins.

Featured Document Display: Apollo 11 Moon Landing
East Rotunda Gallery, through August 7, 2019
On July 20, 1969, astronaut Neil Armstrong made one small step that forever changed history. For this special anniversary, view National Archives records that detail the carefully choreographed sequence of steps—from lift-off to splash-down—that resulted in the mission’s “giant leap for mankind."  Made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of The Boeing Company

PANEL DISCUSSION: Small Steps and Giant Leaps: How Apollo 11 Shaped Our Understanding of Earth and Beyond
Wednesday, July 17, 7- 8:30 p.m.; Reserve a seat; watch live on our YouTube Channel
In partnership with the American Geophysical Union, we present a panel discussion on the role of geosciences in the legacy of the Apollo missions and the future of the space program. NASA Chief Scientist James L. Green will moderate a panel discussion with: Sean Solomon, director of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory; Sonia Tikoo, assistant professor at Stanford University; Steven Hauck, professor of planetary geodynamics at Case Western Reserve University; and, Heather Meyer, postdoctoral fellow at the Lunar and Planetary Institute.  This program is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of The Boeing Company. 

FILM SCREENING AND DISCUSSION: Apollo 11
Thursday, July 18, 7- 9 p.m., Reserve a seat 
Crafted from previously unseen National Archives’ 70mm film footage and audio recordings, this new documentary transports moviegoers to the heart of NASA’s most celebrated mission—Apollo 11, the one that first put men on the Moon and forever made Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin into American icons. (2019; 93 minutes)  Following the screening, NASA Chief Historian Bill Barry will moderate a discussion with director Todd Douglas Miller, producer Thomas Peterson, and National Archives motion picture archivist Daniel Rooney. See related National Archives News story, National Archives’ Film Footage Fuels Apollo 11 Film  This program is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of The Boeing Company. 

FILM SCREENING: From the Earth to the Moon: Mare Tranquilitatis 
Friday, July 19, noon-1 p.m., Reserve a seat
In episode six of the critically-acclaimed 1998 HBO series, From the Earth to the Moon, Buzz Aldrin (Bryan Cranston) , Neil Armstrong (Tony Goldwyn), and Michael Collins (Cary Elwes) prepare for the Apollo 11 mission. (60 minutes)  This program is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of The Boeing Company. 

FILM SCREENING: Moonwalk One 
Friday, July 19, 3-5:30 p.m., Reserve a seat
In 1970, NASA released this documentary on the comprehensive coverage surrounding Apollo 11 astronauts and mission control during pre-launch and launch sequences, daily activities on the spacecraft, and the moonwalk.(96 minutes)  This program is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of The Boeing Company. 

FILM SCREENING: First Man 
Saturday, July 20, 2- 4:20 p.m., Reserve a seat
First Man tells the riveting story behind the first manned mission to the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) and the decade leading to the historic Apollo 11 flight. A visceral and intimate account told from Armstrong's perspective, based on the book by James R. Hansen, the film explores the triumphs and the cost—on Armstrong, his family, his colleagues and the nation itself—of one of the most dangerous missions in history. (2018; 141 mins.)  This program is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of The Boeing Company.