Why is International Moon Day celebrated on July 20?

Nation/WorldPublished: Jul. 20, 2026, 8:56 a.m.Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong working at an equipment storage area on the lunar module.NASABy Kayode Crown | kcrown@al.comJuly 20, 2026, marks 57 years since the first humans landed on the moon, and four years since that day has been observed as global International Moon Day.“International Moon Day marks the anniversary of the first landing by humans on the Moon as part of the Apollo 11 lunar mission in 1969,” per the United Nations, which in 2021 passed a resolution for the observance. The non-governmental organization that proposed the day, Moon Village Association, says 2026’s theme is: One Moon, One Vision, One Future. According to the group, between July 1 and October 31, governments, space agencies, industry, academia, NGOs, and the