Apollo 8

Although it's (very) arguable, the case could be made that, like RFK being more interesting than JFK or A-Rod is WAY more interesting than Jeter, Apollo 8 was more interesting than Apollo 11 (NO chance - thanks to Neil Armstrong!) - XMASTIME

While it will always be a bridesmaid thanks to Apollo 11, here's a few things to say about Apollo 8:

The first time humans had left the planet Earth.
The first time a human saw the whole planet Earth from space.
The first time humans had not experienced a night, with sunrises and sunsets.
The first time humans were exposed to raw solar radiation beyond the Earth’s magnetic field.
The first time astronauts had experienced the full 3.4 million kilogram thrust of the big Saturn V rocket.
The first time humans had entered another gravitational field.
The first time humans orbited the Moon.
The first time humans had occulted behind the Moon.
The first to see the backside of the Moon.
The first to see Earthrise at the Moon.
The first to reenter into the Earth’s atmosphere from the Moon.
The first to travel so far and so fast.