55: Moon Landing

 

55 Years ago today (July 20, 1969) the United States landed on the Moon for the first time and  Neil Armstrong became the first American and the first Human on the Moon. Buzz Aldrin became the 2nd and Michael Collins stayed on the ship.

1 Million People watched the launch of Apollo 11 on July 16, 1969 in Florida.

Dignitaries included the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, General William Westmoreland, four Cabinet Members, 19 State Governors, 40 Mayors, 60 Ambassadors and 200 Congressmen. Vice President Spiro Agnew and Former President Lyndon B. Johnson and his Wife Lady Bird Johnson.

3,500 Media Representatives were present. 2/3 of them were from the US and the rest from 55 Countries.

25 Million Americans watched the launch of Apollo 11 on Television.

93% of every American watched the Moon Landing on July 20, 1969 on Television as it happened (the vast majority of Americans who didn’t watch were Soldiers fighting in Vietnam.)

650 Million People across the World watched the Moon Landing on July 20, 1969 on Television. It was the first Worldwide Live Television Event.

President Richard Nixon spoke to Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin through a Telephone-Radio Transmission, which Nixon called "The most historic phone call ever made from the White House."

On August 13, 1969 the Astronauts rode in Ticker-Tape Parades in their honor in New York and Chicago, with an estimated 6 million Attendees.

On the same evening in Los Angeles there was an official state dinner to celebrate the flight, attended by members of Congress, 44 Governors, Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger and his Predecessor, Earl Warren, and Ambassadors from 83 Nations at the Century Plaza Hotel. Nixon and Agnew honored each Astronaut with a presentation of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The Astronauts spoke before a Joint Session of Congress on September 16, 1969. They presented two US Flags, one to the House of Representatives and the other to the Senate, that they had carried with them to the surface of the Moon.

The Astronauts then went on a 38 Day World Tour to 22 Countries.

The United States had won the Space Race against the Soviet Union (and 22 years later the United States also won the Cold War when the Soviet Union collapsed.)

Neil Armstrong died in 2012 at 82.

Michael Collins died in 2021 at 90.

Buzz Aldrin is still alive at 94.

Note: My Mom told me that she was Camping with her Family in Prince Edward Island, Canada when the Moon Landing Happened. They were the only Campers with a Television (that they brought with them just for the Landing) and so everyone came around their TV and watched the Landing Live. Afterwards, my Mom and her Parents and Siblings were treated as Heroes by the Canadian Campers – because they were Americans.