Thursday, May 25, 1961: A mission to the moon

The speech's official name was "Special Message to the Congress on Urgent National Needs." And while President John F. Kennedy spoke about U.S. goals and challenges at home and abroad, the most memorable passage -- and objective -- was this:

"I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth."

* Video (from Miller Center of Public Affairs) : @

* Transcript and audio (from JFK library): @

* Draft of speech, press copy and reading copy (from JFK library): @

* Memo from Kennedy to Vice President Johnson, April 20 (from NASA): @

* Memo from Johnson to Kennedy, April 28 (from NASA): @

* Letter from Dr. Wernher von Braun to Johnson, April 29 (from NASA): @

(Click here for earlier entry on von Braun and Marshall Space Flight Center)

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