“We choose to go to the Moon. We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard…” In his speech at Rice University, Texas, in September 1962, President John F. Kennedy reaffirmed America's commitment to an extraordinary, startling project: landing a man on the Moon by the end of the decade. Facing fierce competition from the U.S.S.R., it would take 11 missions of unimaginable danger to reach this goal, with Neil Armstrong first setting foot on the Moon’s rocky surface on July 21st, 1969. "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." 650 million people watched in awe that day, as Apollo 11 unfolded on live TV. In today’s episode, Tom and Dominic are joined by one of those people, very special guest TOM HANKS, actor, filmmaker and expert on all things Apollo-related, to discuss the epic saga of how humankind made it to the Moon and back. From the tragedy of Apollo 1 and the disaster of Apollo 13, to Buzz Aldrin's "religious moment" after the Eagle had landed, driving foldable cars on the Moon, and the arguments over who would get to take the first lunar steps, Tom Hanks, Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland look at the dangerous, daring, and incredible stories of the Apollo missions. The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks is on at Lightroom, in King’s Cross, London, until the 13th of October 2024. Find out more here: https://lightroom.uk/whats-on/the-moonwalkers/#book Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 04:27 Tom Hanks Joins The Pod 06:36 Tom Hanks' Personal Sense of The Moon Landing 11:00 The Space Race Driven By Cold War Competition 13:00 Tom Holland's JFK Impression & Hanks' Reaction 18:50 Was There Something Special About the 60s? 21:50 Apollo Missions 26:05 What Are Astronauts like? 30:20 Lead Up To Landing On The Moon 33:06 Break 33:11 Landing On The Moon 36:20 Neil Armstrong Fluffs His Famous Line 37:55 Why Was Neil Armstrong The First Man On The Moon? 44:30 Did Playing Jim Lovell Give Tom Hanks More Appreciation For The Apollo Missions? 53:30 What Some Astronauts Left On The Moon 56:20 Tom Hank's Hopes For The Future Of Space Travel 1:02:50 Q&A *The Rest Is History LIVE in 2024* Tom and Dominic are back onstage this summer, at Hampton Court Palace in London! Buy your tickets here: therestishistory.com Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor