45 years ago today: Apollo 11 lands on the moon

Saturn V, Apollo 11, July 1969I’m not a conspiracy theorist; I believe that the United States did in fact land two men on the moon for the first time on this day, 45 years ago, July 20th of 1969.

Watch live webcasts celebrating this event here.

I wrote about the 40th anniversary here.

An outstanding photo tribute to Apollo 11 is here.

Man last stepped on the moon in 1972.  The United States never returned.

Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the surface of our moon, passed away at the age of 82 on August 26th, 2012.  My personal tribute to this American hero is here.

How many men walked on the moon, and who were they?  In chronological order:

Neil Armstrong – Apollo 11 – July, 1969
Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin – Apollo 11 – July, 1969
Charles “Pete” Conrad – Apollo 12 – November, 1969
Alan Bean – Apollo 12 – November, 1969
Alan Shepard – Apollo 14 – February, 1971
Edgar Mitchell – Apollo 14 – February, 1971
David Scott – Apollo 15 – July, 1971
James Irwin – Apollo 15 – July, 1971
John Young – Apollo 16 – April, 1972 (also on Apollo 10, without landing)
Charles Duke – Apollo 16 – April, 1972
Eugene Cernan – Apollo 17 – December, 1972 (also on Apollo 10, without landing)
Harrison Schmitt – Apollo 17 – December, 1972

Another little known fact: no one has walked on the moon who was born after 1935.

I can still recall that day distinctly: I was with my parents at the home of one of their friends in Centerville, Ohio. The television was on in the living room. Grainy black and white images jumped back and forth on the screen.

Can you recall: where were you and what were you doing when America landed on the moon?

BZ

P.S.
Here is what a flawed but still important president looks like: