July 20, 1969. Buzz Aldrin (above) and Neil Armstrong were the first humans to land on the moon.

July 29th. One of the proudest chapters in U.S. history began 50 years ago today, when President Eisenhower signed the act establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Just 11 years later, NASA astronauts fulfilled the age-old dream of landing the first humans on the moon. At the beginning, NASA’s first staff was provided by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, which had overseen development of many innovations in aviation. Adjusted for inflation, the budget for NASA in its first year was just under $49 million. This year, the agency’s budget is nearly $17.5 billion. About $4 billion supports the series of shuttle flights and another $2 billion goes toward the International Space Station.

"That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind" ~ Neil Armstrong