NASA’s Moon landing in 1969 was hailed one of mankind’s greatest achievements in a time of widespread conflict. In 1969, America was embroiled in the Soviet Cold War and the Space Race but was also stuck in the quagmire of the Vietnam War. Not only did the Moon landing seal the US’ dominance in space but the Apollo 11 mission expanded the horizons of space exploration for humanity as a whole. As the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing fast approaches, here is a timeline of how the historic journey unfolded.