49th anniversary of Apollo 11

[soopirV]

Wasn’t born at the time, but got the perfect socks from the wife for my birthday!

 

[blackjack2564]

Brings back memories.....not the socks lol....the event!
Watched it on the toob. [TV]

 

[JStarStar]

I was 10 3/4.

Watched the launch live on teevee from our grandma's cottage.

We went camping for the weekend and made the drive home Sunday night.

Listened to the landing on the car radio driving on US-10 through the northern Michigan woods. I can still remember the exact location -- within feet.

We drove a couple more hours to get home and watched the moonwalk from the couch.

We went out in the backyard and looked at the moon. And we knew two men were standing on it.

 

[BA_Incognito]

I was 8 when the first moon landing occurred. I remember my father went out and bought a color TV so he could watch the moon landing in color. It was a big deal and expensive to get a color TV in 1969. Of course, the moon landing was broadcast in black and white.

In 2003 we attended the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers first flight in Kitty Hawk, NC. Looking forward to the 50th anniversary of the moon landing next year. Being just a couple of hours from Huntsville, it should be rather fun.

 

[soopirV]

I’m envious of you fellows who got to witness it! Although, I’m also glad I’m not as old as you are!! [emoji13][emoji13][emoji13]

 

[JStarStar]

My (three living in 1969) grandparents were all born in the 1890s.

When they were little kids, the idea of even flying in a plane was considered way-out crazy stuff.

Then, in their 70s, they saw men walk on the moon.

 

[BA_Incognito]

It is amazing that in less than 66 years we went from the first airplane made from wood and fabric to setting foot on the surface of the moon. Never did I think 50 years later we would not have a permanent presence on the moon, much less to have never returned after 1972 or that we have to depend on a foreign country to put an American into LEO to get to the space station. SpaceX and some of the others seem to be starting to pick up the slack and hopefully it won't be long before we can at least send an American into space using an American launch vehicle. Still, I have serious doubts I'll see another man set foot on the moon in my lifetime or even my children's lifetime.

 

[kuririn]

For those old enough to remember, it took a gigantic shock to marshall American will, resolve, and resources that resulted in the first lunar landing. That shock was Russia taking the early lead into space, trumping the Americans (pun intended). First satellite in orbit, first man in space, first woman in space, first spacewalk, etc. Keep in mind that this was during the height of the Cold War. The idea that the leader of democracy was coming in second to a pillar of communism was downright unacceptable. Overnight the academic system was overhauled with an emphasis on math and science. Foreign language was no longer required in high school. We needed to graduate engineers and scientists to compete with the "threat" upon us. This was the backdrop to President Kennedy's declaration of his goal to put a man on the moon and return him safely back to Earth before the decade is out.