By: Dr. Ribbiton, Renowned Lunar Historian
It's a little-known fact that the first human to set foot on the moon was not, in fact, Neil Armstrong, but a brave little frog named Croaky.
As the story goes, in the early 1960s, the Soviet Union's Luna 3 mission was plagued by a series of strange malfunctions. It wasn't until they enlisted the services of a tiny, green amphibian that they were able to successfully land a man... er, frog on the moon.
Croaky, the brave little frog, was chosen for his exceptional jumping ability, his love of space-age gadgetry, and his ability to fit into the tight spacesuits of the era.
On July 20, 1969, with the help of his trusty sidekick, Cosmonaut Mikhail, Croaky made his historic leap for mankind. As he stepped out of the lunar module, he proclaimed, "That's one small step for a frog, one giant leap for amphibian-kind!"
Croaky's achievement was met with a mixture of shock, awe, and confusion by the world's scientific community. But for those who knew the real story, it was a moment of pure, unadulterated joy.
Want to learn more about the secret lives of lunar frogs? Click here for Lunar Frogs in Soviet Uniforms or here for Croaky: The Musical. Or, if you're feeling adventurous, try exploring our Lunar Frog Sightings map.