Where were you 40 years ago?

[billy.leliveld]

This a little bit of an old farts thread, but where were you when Neil Amstrong did his little step?
I remember it was in the middle of the holiday-season, and we where camping in Holland on a camp site, the owner of the camping set up his tv- set so the visitors could see the landing,there where 50 people watching that small black and white TV, it was way past my bed time when Eagle landed, but we stayed up until Neil came down the ladder....

[Ashrunner]

I was in the living room of my family home in Chicago, where we watched the landing, and later the broadcast of Neil's first step. I watched the broadcast until it ended, then went up to my bedroom to tune in reports on my shortwave radio.

However, during the tuning process, I came across a frequency which was carrying more of the conversation from the moon. I started my recorder and listened to it until I fell asleep. Not sure how I happened across the transmissions as the recording was of conversations not heard on the television broadcast.

A friend of mine was listening to the recording and thought it might have been, if I remember what he called it correctly, a harmonic reception. Being an amateur radio operator, he began using terms I had never heard of, but he continued listening to the recording until my tape ended.

I do remember however, of going outside during the time the two were walking around on the moon and looking up at it and thinking, "There are two humans walking around up there. I will too someday." Of course, I'm still waiting for E.T. to come, sweep me up and take me to the moon. If you're not listening to it, a "real time" webcast of the entire trip is being played at this address.

[Rick Thomson]

I was out at our summer cabin on Fraser Lake BC, Canada. We had no TV, so I expect that I was one of the few in the first world that didn't see the landing on the tube, we did follow it on CBC radio though.

What brave visions of the future we had then, and how short have we fallen since. I really thought that we would be on our way to the outer ends of the solar system by now.

Rick

[airdave]

I was only 10, but I do remember getting out of bed (I think) and heading to the Living Room, where my parents had the live broadcast on. I remember watching that first step (but don't remember too much else).

In response to Ashrunner's comment
"There are two humans walking around up there. I will too someday."

...this is the sad part for me.
When you think about all the advancements that have happened in Human history
and you think about how fast we have advanced after all the major inventions and technological breakthroughs of the last 100 years..
its sad to realize that 40 years after putting a man on the Moon...50 years of NASA...70 years of rocket flight...we are still stuck here on this rock!

...and if it wasn't for guys like Richard Branson, the "general public" might never even see Space!!

[Darwin]

I watched it from a watering hole in Bone, Idaho, quenching my thirst after a hard morning of murdering trout.

[modelperry]

I was 3. I don't remember crap from back then. :p My first rememberances of any news event was the watergate hearings in the early '70's and that's only because my mom was mad that her soaps were being preempted by them.

Greg

[B-Manic]

We (by which I mean my Dad) were stationed at Peterson AFB, Colo at the time. I remember our family and several neighbours watching on TV as Apollo 11 was launched on the 16th of July and again as they entered lunar orbit.

Everything seemed oddly calm as ground control and the astronauts went through the procedures. I asked my dad what the regular beeping sounds were. Eventually Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong transferred to the landing module.

The Eagle landed on the shore of the Sea of Tranquility on the 20th of July. About seven hours later, Armstrong exited the landing module and set foot on the moon. I recall everyone in the room sitting back and sort of relaxing after he said "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Not really because it was anti-climatic more of a ‘well that’s done, now what’ sort of moment.

I don't remember anyone being particularly excited about it, more worried about the safety of the astronauts then anything else. I did think that Michael Collins would be lonely all by himself up there in Columbia. The naivety of youth I suppose. However, I don't think our TV was turned off once between 16 - 24 July 1969. Myself, my brother and sister were awoken at all hours of the night to ensure we did not miss anything important so, I guess there was something more going on than my young mind perceived.

Like a lot of air force brats I had all the Revell Apollo model kits and of course the big National Geographic lunar map on my bedroom wall. It is odd the things that we remember.


Thanks for stirring the memories Billy.

[Thanh Thuy]

I was in Spain, for holidays, and watching at a Sci Fi movie on B&W TV, when the program was "cut" by advertising where we could see a tubular aspirin package taking off from earth like a rocket, and it moved on with a TV coverage of the event of the day : Neil Armstrong on the Moon!
I was 13 years old, and very interested in space conquest.
At this time the TV news in France, were often social agitation and speeches of General De Gaulle, African conflicts, Space, and Vietnam : a great era!

Bye!

Thanh Thuy.:p

[surfduke]

I was very young. We stood on the beach and the noise made me hide my head in my fathers armpit. Once he made me understand it was not a bad thing, I carefully peeked up and watch them climb out over the Atlantic.
I remember the ride back to Plant City with everyone fighting in the VW Transporter.
Everyone was fighting about this and that while my father let me sit in his lap at the wheel, (Could not do that today, (LOL)), and told me to remember this day was the day that man started on a great journey.


The landing was watched at my grandfathers home in Lutz. We gathered around the t.v. and my great grandmother Hewlett went on and on about how it was all being done with puppets. My great grand mother Perry threatened to stab her with her knitting needles if she did not shut up. It was then that N.A. jumped from the ladder to the surface and made the call.


That is how I remember it,


Carl

[Wilfried]

I remember it as yesterday; I had an invitation from the German Navy in my pocket; they offered me, the next 18 month to live on their bill .... so they interrupted my career as a typograph and designer ... for a while ...

With lovely greetings
the Wilfried