July 21 has seen battles that shaped empires, space milestones, and moments of high drama.
At 2:56 UTC, Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the lunar surface, followed by Buzz Aldrin. They spent about two hours outside the lunar module, collecting samples and planting the American flag.
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, was destroyed by arson. According to legend, the temple burned on the same night Alexander the Great was born.
The first major battle of the American Civil War was fought near Manassas, Virginia. The Confederate victory shattered Northern hopes of a quick end to the war and sobered both sides about the conflict ahead.
John T. Scopes was found guilty of teaching evolution in Tennessee and fined $100. The trial, featuring attorneys Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan, became a pivotal moment in the science-religion debate.
The Trans-Siberian Railway, stretching nearly 6,000 miles from Moscow to Vladivostok, was completed. It remains the longest railway line in the world and opened up Siberia to Russian settlement.
Napoleon Bonaparte's French forces defeated the Mamluks near the Great Pyramids of Giza, securing French control of Egypt. Napoleon reportedly told his troops, 'Soldiers, forty centuries look down upon you.'
Space Shuttle Atlantis touched down at Kennedy Space Center, ending the final mission of NASA's 30-year shuttle program. The landing marked the end of an era in American human spaceflight.