Timeline Saturday 21 December 1968

Events on Saturday 21 December 1968 1

• 1968 Apollo 8 orbits the Moon First crewed spacecraft to leave Earth orbit and circle the Moon Astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell and William Anders became the first humans to leave low Earth orbit, travel to the Moon, and orbit it, completing ten lunar orbits before returning safely. During the mission the crew read from the Book of Genesis in a broadcast watched around the world. The flight paved the way for the Apollo 11 landing the following year.