The Apollo Program was initiated by President John F. Kennedy with his public commitment on May 25, 1961, to place an American on the moon before the end of the decade. It succeeded when a lunar modular from Apollo 11 reached the moon on July 20, 1969. Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon, followed immediately by Buzz Aldrin. The last of five Apollo missions put a man on the moon in 1972, making a total of twelve American to walk on the moon.