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| A Kennedy National Goal cover postmarked at Kennedy, Alabama with a hand cancel on May 25, 1961. |
(Reference from The Decision to Go to the Moon: President John F. Kennedy's May 25, 1961 Speech before a Joint Session of Congress)
1961-05-25 USA Kennedy National Goal
On May 25, 1961, U.S. President John F. Kennedy addressed a special joint session of Congress, setting a bold and ambitious goal: to send an American safely to the Moon and return them before the decade's end. Several political factors influenced Kennedy's decision and its timing. He felt intense pressure for the U.S. to "catch up to and surpass" the Soviet Union in the "space race".
Delivered against the backdrop of the Cold War and the Soviet Union’s early achievements in space, Kennedy’s speech transformed America’s space program into a national priority. Determined to close the gap with the United States’ Cold War rival, Kennedy called for a bold expansion of America’s space efforts, backed by unprecedented technological development and investment. His challenge set the course for the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs, culminating in July 1969 when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon aboard Apollo 11.
(Reference from The Decision to Go to the Moon: President John F. Kennedy's May 25, 1961 Speech before a Joint Session of Congress)
(Reference from The Decision to Go to the Moon: President John F. Kennedy's May 25, 1961 Speech before a Joint Session of Congress)
