Who declared America would have the first man on the moon?

President John F. Kennedy declared that America would have the first man on the moon during a speech at Rice University on September 12, 1962. He emphasized the goal of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth before the end of the 1960s, highlighting the importance of space exploration for national pride and technological advancement. This declaration set the ambitious goal for NASA's Apollo program, which ultimately succeeded with Apollo 11 in 1969.