I know lots of young parents like my daughter aren’t old enough to remember July 20, 1969, the day Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon for the first time. But I am! And I remember what I was doing on that day! My guess is that a lot of people do! I was in Tirol, Austria on a summer German language program for high school students. The newspaper headline on the street shouted “Der Mond ist jetzt ein Ami!” which translated means “The moon is now American!” We were proud but puzzled because we saw it as “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” just as Neil Armstrong had said – for the whole world, not just the United States. It was my first “grown-up” lesson on different points of view – how one action could be understood so differently, depending on your own experiences and family/cultural teachings. Of course, how many different ways can you interpret the planting of the US flag on the surface of the moon??
Also see National Air and Space Museum Apollo 11
website for more info on the moon landing. Here is a 3 minute video from there on Apollo 11. Of course, there are lots of other interesting things to see at the National Air and Space Museum both in person and on-line.
Relive the Apollo 11 timeline by following the Twitter until July 24. It started on July 16th, when the mission launched. Follow @ReliveApollo11 or use #Apollo11
MyGrandmaSue 