The First Moon Landing Was in 1864

Contrary to popular belief, Neil Armstrong was not the first man on the moon — however, he and Buzz Aldrin were the first people to return from the Moon alive. Through my own research, I have uncovered a history of humanity’s ventures into space, far richer than the standard narrative.

The Moon as seen by the Galileo Spacecraft. Image courtesy NASA/JPL/USGS

Since mankind first gazed at the heavens, he has dreamed of setting foot on the moon. The first serious attempt to…