July 20 1969

[luvmysuper]

Hard to believe that it was 43 years ago today that man first set foot on the moon.

I remember sitting enthralled in front of a tiny black and white TV set, yet not knowing the full and wondrous spectacle that was unfolding in front of me in terms of history.

When you think of the marvels of science we take for granted every day now, that these brave men were able to accomplish what they did in a space craft that had less computing power than the average Mobile Phone of today, it is astounding.

Where were you when this happened? Do you remember this incredible milestone in human history?

 

[xraygun]

It's actually my first real memory of consequence. I was 4 and astronaut crazy.

 

[Viseguy]

I remember clearly that it was a Sunday, I was at my cousin's house, and a bunch of us were in the den, crowded around the TV. Wow.

 

[SiBurning]

That had to be the most inspiring event in my life. That and seeing Jim handle a NEW.

 

[jkh]

That was exactly two weeks prior to the day my older sister was born.

 

[Mike H]

I remember clearly that it was a Sunday, I was at my cousin's house, and a bunch of us were in the den, crowded around the TV. Wow.

Me too, I was 5 and that evening walking to the car looking up at the moon in awe. I remembered it being a full moon, but checked just now online and it was only 33% waxing.

 

[luvmysuper]

I was 11 at the time, and coming from a very poor family, the third hand TV that we had was given to us and had "issues", but it was enough to convey the monumental event and I'll never forget it.

 

[Phog Allen]

I was six and remembered Mom and Dad had it on the telly and we were all watching but for some reason I cannot remember the "one small step" moment. A shame. What a historical moment.

Cheers, Todd

 

[johnniegold]

My mother saved the original local area newspaper of that event. I do have vague memories of the event but certainly remember subsequent moon landings much more vividly, especially Apollo 13.

 

[Buster Casey]

I wasn't born. My parents were married on July 19, 1969 and my mother's birthday was the 20th. They still talk about this every year on their anniversary. They watched the landing on tv in a hotel in Kentucky and they were sweating to death because the room's a/c didn't work. Every time they talk about it they act like it was one of their happiest times being married.

 

[luvmysuper]

We have transitioned into the 21st of July which marks the death of Alan Shepard on 21 July 1998 at the age of 74.
He was one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, and the first American in space.
He was Commander of the Apollo 14 moon landing mission, and hit a couple of golf balls on the moon.

 

[cb91710]

In church.

They broke the evening service and the entire congregation went to the Fireside Room (at the end of the gym) to watch on a TV that someone had brought in.

 

[zirrow]

I wasn't even a twinkle in my mama's eye, but my dad talks about being at a baseball game with his father. The guy at bat (he may be able to tell you who it was) stepped back from the plate and pointed at the scoreboard, where "The Eagle has landed" was displayed. He still gets a look of pride & awe when he tells that story.

On a somewhat related note - As a kid, my parents were divorced and I flew back & forth between California and Oklahoma a few times a year. I remember thinking it took a long time to make that flight and I often wondered just how the astronauts were able to make their even-longer trip without going crazy.

 

[garyg]

The summer that I "came of age" - well, old enough anyhow to buy 3.2 beer in Ohio or get into Woodstock or register for the draft or look up & try & see them walking on the moon .. I remember the sheer wonder of it all .. and a couple weeks later a mass murder

Today, and for a couple days this is my homage to the moonwalkers on my wrist ..

View attachment 259418

 

[cb91710]

On a somewhat related note - As a kid, my parents were divorced and I flew back & forth between California and Oklahoma a few times a year. I remember thinking it took a long time to make that flight and I often wondered just how the astronauts were able to make their even-longer trip without going crazy.

I am not claustrophobic, but the idea of being stuck with two other guys in a space slightly more confined than a DC-9 cockpit for 10 days is not an entertaining thought.

 

[Doc4]

Sadder still, there are millions of morons who actually believe this was staged in a movie studio somewhere.

But ... but ... it WAS staged in a television sound stage.





... on the moon.

 

[DC_MPA]

My proud moments were in 2003 and 2004. 2003 I spent an evening at Oshkosh with my Dad, my Dad's dad (who worked with Neil Armstrong on the mission equipment at Rockwell) and Neil Armstrong. That celebration of 100 years of flight was one of the best times of my life.

In 2004, I spent July 20th at the White House while President Bush gave the 35th anniversary his presidential honor with Michael Collin, Buzz Aldrin, and Neil Armstrong while I was a fly on the wall as an intern in his administration.

The last great achievement of mankind came with the words "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind".

Fun fact - Neil Armstrong was and still is a very reclusive person. He doesn't handle crowds well at all. His heart rate was a very impressive 50-60 bpm all thru the landing. The 2 seconds before he hit the button to make his famous statement his heart rate exceeded 120-130 bpm.

Other fun fact - when they were in landing sequence Buzz Aldrin counted down the remainder of fuel while Neil Armstrong landed the module. Armstrong shut the engines down with only a few seconds of fuel remaining. If they went past those 2 seconds of fuel they wouldn't have carried enough to launch back to Michael Collins.

 

[ouch]

What happened to out spirit of adventure?

 

[SalvadorMontenegro]

Yeah, I was gonna say. I'm 28, so this happened well before I was born, but I can't remember knowing anyone when I was growing up who had any interest at all, myself included, in being an astronaut. I don't think this is a good thing.

 

[Antique Hoosier]

What happened to out spirit of adventure?

GREAT question.

as to Phil's original question. I was 8 and living in Miami, Florida with my family and loving everything about the Moon landing. The local Hess gas stations had paper Lunar Module and associated puzzles etc and I had them assembled as I watched the TV whilst laying on cool terrazzo floors on SW 189th Street. Lifetimes away.