252. [Apollo 11] 'WE CAME IN PEACE FOR ALL MANKIND': the iconic commemorative plaque left on the Moon Buzz Aldrin, 16-24 July 1969 Printed 1969. Vintage chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper [NASA image AS11-40-5899]. With NASA caption numbered "NASA AS11-40-5899" and "A Kodak Paper" watermark on the reverse (issued by NASA Kennedy Space Centre, Florida). 20.3 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.) Historical context "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon, July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind." These iconic words remain on the Moon, inscribed on the plaque affixed to the Eagle Lunar Module's leg by the Apollo 11 astronauts. Capturing this moment was of great importance to the crew, as it symbolized the spirit of the mission. To ensure a clear shot, Neil Armstrong carefully positioned the camera over the centre of the footpad. "We had to guess at the exposures, so I took several different exposures to try to catch the plaque," Armstrong later recalled (Apollo Lunar Surface Journal, mission transcript at 110:41:07 GET). At a White House dinner with President Nixon following the mission, Armstrong reflected on the plaque's lasting significance: "I hope that some wayward stranger in the third millennium may read it and say, 'This is where it all began.' It can be a beginning of a new era when man begins to understand his Universe and man begins to truly understand himself."