JFK Says Let's Land a Man on the Moon

On May 25, 1961, U.S. President John F. Kennedy stood in front of a joint session of Congress and stated that the United States should set as a goal: "landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth" by the end of the decade. Acknowledging that the Soviets had a head start in their space program, JFK urged the U.S. to work diligently to lead the achievements of space travel because "in many ways [it] may hold the key to our future on earth." For more details, read JFK's full speech.