50 years ago today, the nation was glued to it's TV set as Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the Moon. Buzz Aldrin, would minutes later become the second. I'm sure most didn't notice Armstrong's now famous words of " That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." Those words reverberated in the news media soon after.
I wonder if Armstrong was picked for the first walk because his name is more memorable than Aldrin's.
I was hoping at the time that July 19th would be the day, since it is my birthday. July 20th, however is a round number so NASA, which was it turns out was very PR savvy at the time, may have decided that would be a more memorable date.
While the nation, including myself had it's eye on the Spaceflight of Apollo 11, Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy, the brother of slain President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, was involved in an auto accident, soon to be known to the world as Chappaquiddick. The drowning of a passenger in Kennedy's car, may have been the reason that he would never get the Democratic nomination to be president. Kennedy, however, was able to avoid prosecution and continue what history would point out as a very significant career in the Senate.
By the way, while Armstrong and Aldrin were doing the actual moon walk (not the dance of a couple decades later), Michael Collins continued to circle the moon in the main space capsule.
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