When did astronauts reach the moon for the first time?

Three men were the first to go to the "vicinity" of the Moon, on the Apollo 8 mission that orbited the Moon on December 24, 1968. The astronauts were Frank Borman, James Lovell, and Willliam Anders.

After Apollo 10 successfully orbited to test the Lunar Lander in May, 1969, the Apollo 11 mission became the first to take men to the lunar surface.

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed the Eagle at the Sea of Tranquility basin on July 20, 1969. Armstrong was the first man to set foot on the Moon, followed by Aldrin. Between 1969 and 1972, five more missions landed on the surface, for a total of 12 men who explored on the lunar surface.