Did you watch the 1969 moon landing?

[Doc]

I was only three so of course the whole affair passed me by. Have watched it a few times since, I was bought a copy of it on video for a xmas present long time ago.

[Dave]

My spoilsport parents wouldn't let me stay up to see the landing itself.

But I watched them snowmen bouncing around all morning on the Saturday completely awestruck. Absolutely rivetting stuff that has probably fuelled my passion for astronomy and spaceflight for all these years. I can't believe it's 40 years ago this June... Where does the time go?

[Talitha]

The thing I find to be most curious now is that there are supposedly millions of Americans that do not believe it was ever done. How can this happen? No one at the time had any doubt including the Russians and they would have been unlikely to keep quiet if it was a hoax. I think the big story here is not so much the landing itself but how can so many people be convinced that a large part of history never happened. It's almost like denying the D Day landins or Agincourt. What is happening to people now that they can be so easily mis-led?

Dennis

Two words: sensationalistic journalism.

It's surprising how easily people follow along when someone cooks up something like that, isn't it?

Lemmings...

And you're absolutely right about the Soviets. They definitely would have exposed us if we were faking it but we never skipped a beat, even under their close scrutiny.

[George]

I remember the 1st moon landing vividly, I was 11 and just started secondary school, the whole class went round to this posh gits house to watch the landing in colour (you were posh if you had a colour telly).

We was NOT impressed with the coverage that was in black & white

[barkis]

I remember the 1st moon landing vividly, I was 11 and just started secondary school, the whole class went round to this posh gits house to watch the landing in colour (you were posh if you had a colour telly).

We was NOT impressed with the coverage that was in black & white

Snobby Git.

[vlebo]

I was 10 years old when Man landed on the moon and remember it like it was yesterday. The sheer excitement of that mission kept me buzzing for days after and this is what got me hooked on Astronomy as a kid.

[Psychobilly]

I was 3 years old.... and vaguley remember staying up watching it from the settee...

Billy...

[scotastro]

Watching Apollo 11 land on the Moon (when I was 11) completely captivated me. To see the later missions during the day, friends and I would secretly switch on a TV in one class room at school at lunchtime.

As a kid I was read everything I could find about it space missions. When I ran out of material I started on astronomy books and that started a whole new interest.

Thanks to NASA TV I watch Shuttle launches and just about anything else set skywards.

Mike

[Daz1969]

I was born on the 16th July 1969 ,The day they blasted off i popped out! apparently i did kind of see it but was only a few days old.

[Astro_Baby]

I have a memory of it. My dad was fascinated with science and space flight especially. As a consequence as a kid I was into it as well ( still am ). I can remember collecting cards from a Walls Ice Lolly which depicted space flight and what might happen in the future. I also had a play astronaut suit and back then I wanted to be a female astronaut. Sadly I just wasn't brainy enough.

Anyway - as a condequance of dadas interest rubbing off on me I was allowed to stay up late for all kinds of space related issues. The big one of course was the moon landing. We went to an aunts house as she had a bigger and better televions and Dad, me and my aunt all settled down to watch. Riveted to the set.

About 5 hours before the actual landing I started to come down with a weird flu like bug. I resisted all suugestions that the doctor should be called or that perhaps Dad should take me to hospital for fear of missing what I knew even at age 10 would be a milestone. I had been bought up waiting for this.

Not long after I started feeling poorly I was running a huge temperature and was very ill. Dad in the end took me to the local hospital and after about an hour I was admitted onto a female geriatric ward. The NHS back then could generally get you a bed fast but as this was small district hopital they were a bit thin on childrens beds I suppose.

Anyway - I ended up watching the landing from a hopital bed surrounded by women who were very old - probably in their 70s and 80s who would have been born before the start of the 20ths century. We all watched riveted - even the nurses and doctors. The whole world seemed to stand still as Neil Armstrong got out the lunar module and actually stood on the moon. The pictures were terrible, fuzzy, black and white things but I can still remember them as if thgey were yesterday. What I remember even more than that was the old women around me - spellbound, speaking in hushed, hoarse whispers as they witnessed something that must have seemd impoissble when they were my age. Their sense of wonder has never left me and if anything reinforced my interest. I rememebr one of them sayinng to another 'god knows what the little one (me) will see in her lifetime'

It was an amazing moment for me and stands out amongst some very powerful memories.

Sorry though - I dont live anywhere near Sheffield and never have.

[John]

Thinking on it now, I feel it was an even more amazing achievement than I realised back then. Less than 66 years after the Wright Brothers achieved the 1st first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight ..... 2 human beings stepped out onto the surface of another world. Simply incredible.

John

[bazza]

I was 9, my Dad was working nights at the time and normally returned home around 6am. That was when I remember getting up and watching Neil Armstrong on the Moon. I don't remember the famous walk down the steps though.

Like Ron said earlier, I remember watching the descent to the lunar surface...very exciting!

As Michael said, my recollections of Apollo 8 seem clearer (December 1968).....Absolutely fascinating!!)

If anyone can remember the clock times for the landing, UK time, that would be interesting, as someone said earlier, it's easy to get confused with memories of the actual day and later rerun visual recollections.

Barry.

[steppenwolf]

Hi Kate, this thread made me go all nostalgic so I got out all my newspaper cuttings pertaining to this event and thought you might be amused by this little gem from the Sunday Times Weekly Review, 20th July, 1969 :-

[Coco]

We were camping in the Langdales (Lake district)

I was 5 my brother 7 and my Parents made us all listen to the radio. Everyone one the camp site had the radio (wireless) tuned into it.

I can remember the grown ups all cheering when Neil Armstrong stepped onto the Moon.

Later we watched it on telly when we got home.I can remember the next Moon landing because my brother had me in a head lock whist he watched the whole saga unfold .... Sorry had to get some hate out

November 19, 1969, 11:32:35 UTC

[aderyn]

If anyone can remember the clock times for the landing, UK time, that would be interesting, as someone said earlier, it's easy to get confused with memories of the actual day and later rerun visual recollections.

I know it was the middle of the night, because my mum got me out of bed to watch (I was 11) - apparently Armstrong's first step was at 3.56am UK time - here's a link to the history of the TV coverage

http://www.tvhistory.btinternet.co.uk/html/moon_tv_cov.html

A totally awe-inspiring event - I've certainly never forgotten it and am very grateful she woke me up to see it. We both got a bit nostalgic a few minutes ago, talking about it.

I still get that 'wow, there are people up there' feeling when I see the ISS or the shuttle go over now.

Louise

[tinvek]

funny seeing that memo as one thing that struck me during discovery's moon machines series was that the saturn 5 was already being planned before kennedy made his anouncement. he was shown the plans by von braun hence when he made his "we shall go to the moon" speach he was able to say that it would involve a rocket 365 ft high and various other details. in the past it had always intriqued me how he happened to be right about how big it would be.

[bazza]

I know it was the middle of the night, because my mum got me out of bed to watch (I was 11) - apparently Armstrong's first step was at 3.56am UK time - here's a link to the history of the TV coverage

http://www.tvhistory.btinternet.co.uk/html/moon_tv_cov.html

A totally awe-inspiring event - I've certainly never forgotten it and am very grateful she woke me up to see it. We both got a bit nostalgic a few minutes ago, talking about it.

I still get that 'wow, there are people up there' feeling when I see the ISS or the shuttle go over now.

Louise

Thanks Louise,

That fits in exactly with my memories of the event.

Seems like yesterday!!

Barry.

[adamsp123]

I was 15 at the time, a few of my friends were really into the Apollo series of missions, it is easy to forget the earlier ones but it was just such a wonderful build up. Apollo 8 going to the moon but coming straight back awesome, 9 doing tests and 10 again going to the moon and flying the lunar module but not landing. And then 11 - oh my I stayed up by myself just managing to keep awake what seemed like hours before they came out and seeing those truely momentous first footsteps.

BTW mission control wanted Neil and Buzz to have a nap before the moon walk!!!!

Later wishing Nixon to shut up and let them get on with it. Did my paper round and then to school and only one topic of conversation.

I always felt sorry for Collins the 3rd Astronaut going there, but never getting on the moon.