The Space Race galvanized America and gave this entire country something to be proud about in the 60s and early 70s. It signified America's scientific spirit and can-do attitude and made Americans truly feel like we could accomplish anything that we set our minds to.
Of course, American men walking on the moon was the true "victory" of the Space Race. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's first steps were historic for all of human kind, but they obviously had a special meaning for Americans. So, from Pocket Trivia: US History - What is the name of the first spacecraft that reached the moon? Was it Apollo 13, Apollo 8, Apollo 10 or Apollo 11?
Apollo 8 was close: the ship orbited the moon ten times, but never landed.
Apollo 13, of course, was the ill-fated voyage that was supposed to include a Lunar landing, but didn't upon an explosion in the ship. The miracle of that particular flight was that all astronauts were able to safely return home.
Apollo 10 was the "dry run" for the lunar landing - the flight came within 47,400 feet of a lunar landing, but did not land.
Obviously, then, the answer to this one is Apollo 11. Manned by Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Michael Collins (the third man on the mission is also the least-well known, and that's a shame - he may not have walked on the moon but he was clearly an integral part), Apollo 11 was the first craft to ever land on the moon.
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