When did President John F. Kennedy tell america he wanted to land a man on the moon?

Answer 1

Kennedy was eager for the United States to lead the way in the space race. Sergei Khrushchev says Kennedy approached his father, Nikita, twice about a "joint venture" in space exploration—in June 1961 and Autumn 1963. On the first occasion, Russia was far ahead of America in terms of space technology. Kennedy first made the goal for landing a man on the Moon in speaking to a Joint Session of Congress on May 25, 1961, saying

"First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish."[31]

Kennedy later made a speech at Rice University in September 1962, in which he said

"No nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in this race for space"

and

"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

Answer 2

In his Inaugural Address-----"and I believe this Nation should commit itself to the task, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth"

January 20, 1961