Apollo 11 anniversaries facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Apollo 11 anniversary |
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President George H.W. Bush and the Apollo 11 astronauts
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| Status | Active |
| Genre | anniversary |
| Begins | July 16 |
| Ends | July 20 |
| Frequency | Quinquennially |
| Country | United States |
| Years active | 50 |
| Inaugurated | July 16, 1974 |
| Founder | NASA |
Apollo 11 was an amazing space mission that made history! It was the very first time humans landed on the Moon. Since that incredible journey in 1969, people around the world have celebrated its special anniversaries with big events and tributes. These celebrations honor the astronauts and everyone who helped make this giant leap for mankind possible.
Contents
- Celebrating the Apollo 11 Mission
- 10 Years After: A Special Reunion
- 15 Years After: Rocket Launch Fun
- 20 Years After: Looking to the Future
- 25 Years After: Honoring the Past
- 30 Years After: Awards and Exhibits
- 40 Years After: Digital Memories and New Honors
- 45 Years After: A Building Renamed
- 50 Years After: Big Celebrations and New Coins
- See Also
Celebrating the Apollo 11 Mission
10 Years After: A Special Reunion
Ten years after the Moon landing, the three brave astronauts from Apollo 11 – Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, and Michael Collins – came together for special ceremonies in Washington D.C. This was on July 20, 1979. It was a rare public appearance for them since the fifth anniversary.
15 Years After: Rocket Launch Fun
For the 15th anniversary in 1984, a special model rocket launch happened at the Kennedy Space Center. This event was not open to the public because it involved explosives, but it was a cool way to remember the power of the Saturn V rocket.
20 Years After: Looking to the Future
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In 1989, for the 20th anniversary, U.S. President George H. W. Bush announced exciting plans. He talked about returning to the Moon and even traveling to Mars someday. This big idea was called the Space Exploration Initiative.
The United States Postal Service (USPS) also released a special stamp. It was designed by Chris Calle, whose father, Paul Calle, designed the original Apollo 11 stamp in 1969. The new stamp showed two astronauts planting a flag on the Moon. Their faces were hidden by their visors, as U.S. stamps cannot feature living people. This stamp was released on July 20 at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C.
25 Years After: Honoring the Past
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On July 16, 1994, NASA held a special event. They replayed the countdown to the original launch and launched smaller models of the Saturn rocket. The Apollo 11 astronauts chose not to attend this time, even though they had been at the 20th-anniversary event.
The USPS released two more stamps for this anniversary. One was a 29-cent stamp, and the other was a $9.95 express mail stamp. Both showed an astronaut saluting a flag on the Moon. These stamps were also designed by Paul and Chris Calle. Buzz Aldrin helped reveal the stamp design on July 20 in Washington.
The Apollo 11 crew did accept an invitation to the White House on July 21. They celebrated with President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, First Lady Hillary Clinton, and other astronauts.
A documentary film called Apollo 13: To the Edge and Back was also released by PBS.
30 Years After: Awards and Exhibits
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For the 30th anniversary in 1999, Vice-President Al Gore gave the astronauts a special award called the Langley Gold Medal. This award is given for achievements in aviation. The ceremony took place at the National Air and Space Museum. Neil Armstrong spoke for the crew, thanking everyone involved in the Apollo program.
Armstrong attended a dinner at Kennedy Space Center but did not sign autographs or give a speech. Aldrin also attended, but Collins, who was retired, did not. Aldrin held a public meeting on July 17 at the center.
The USPS released another 33-cent stamp. It was part of a series celebrating events from the 1960s. This stamp, called "Man Walks on Moon," showed Aldrin's bootprint on the Moon. It was revealed at Kennedy Space Center on July 17.
New exhibits were also opened. At Kennedy Space Center, ground was broken for the Apollo Exhibit in the U.S. Space Walk of Fame. The National Air and Space Museum added Armstrong and Aldrin's helmet and gloves. They also made it possible for visitors to look inside the lunar module's cockpit for the first time using a camera.
On July 21, Buzz Aldrin was a main speaker at an event in Chicago. A Moon rock was put on display at the Tribune Tower. This was the first time NASA had loaned a Moon sample to a private company instead of a school or museum.
The USS Hornet museum held a ten-day event called Moonfest 1999. It included NASA exhibits and evening astronomy. Aldrin and Carl Seilberlich, who was the captain of the Hornet during the recovery of the Apollo 11 crew, attended on July 24. This was the anniversary of the day the astronauts returned to Earth. About 17,000 people visited the event.
40 Years After: Digital Memories and New Honors
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On July 15, 2009, Life.com shared a collection of never-before-seen photos of the astronauts. These pictures were taken by Life photographer Ralph Morse before the Apollo 11 launch. From July 16 to 24, 2009, NASA streamed the original mission audio on its website. You could listen to the sounds of the mission exactly 40 years after they happened. NASA also started restoring the video footage and released previews. In July 2010, recordings of the astronauts talking to Mission Control during the landing were released for the first time. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum also created a website that replayed the Apollo 11 transmissions from launch to landing.
On July 20, 2009, Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins met with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House. President Obama said he hoped a new generation of kids would be inspired to become the next astronauts. On August 7, 2009, an act of Congress gave the three astronauts the Congressional Gold Medal. This is the highest award a civilian can receive in the United States.
British scientists interviewed for the anniversary reflected on the Moon landing's importance. They called it an amazing technical achievement, saying nothing since Apollo has created such excitement.
45 Years After: A Building Renamed
On July 21, 2014, the Operations and Checkout building at Kennedy Space Center was renamed in honor of Neil Armstrong. Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins attended the ceremony.
50 Years After: Big Celebrations and New Coins
For the 50th anniversary, special commemorative coins were made. On June 10, 2015, Congressman Bill Posey suggested that the United States Mint design and sell these coins. They were released to the public on January 24, 2019.
The USPS also created two "forever stamps" for the 50th anniversary. One stamp showed the famous picture Neil Armstrong took of Buzz Aldrin on the Moon, with Armstrong visible in Aldrin's helmet visor. The other stamp showed an image of the Moon with the Apollo 11 landing site highlighted. These stamps were revealed at Kennedy Space Center on July 19.
The Smithsonian Institute's National Air and Space Museum and NASA hosted a big "Apollo 50 Festival" on the National Mall in Washington D.C. This three-day outdoor festival (July 18-20, 2019) had hands-on exhibits, fun activities, live performances, and talks from scientists and famous people like Adam Savage.
As part of the festival, a huge image of the 363-foot (111 m) tall Saturn V rocket was projected onto the 555-foot (169 m) tall Washington Monument. This happened every night from July 16 to 20. There was also a 17-minute show that used video projected onto the monument to show the rocket being built and launched. A 40-foot (12 m) wide replica of the Kennedy Space Center countdown clock and two large video screens showed old footage. On Saturday, July 20, the 10:30 PM show was delayed slightly so that the moment Neil Armstrong first stepped on the Moon would happen exactly 50 years to the second after the real event (10:56:15 PM EDT).
A documentary film called Apollo 11 was released in theaters. It used restored footage from the 1969 mission.
On July 19, 2019, Google Doodle honored the Apollo 11 Moon Landing with a special animated YouTube video. Astronaut Michael Collins provided the voiceover for the video.
Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, and Neil Armstrong's son and grandson were welcomed by President Donald Trump at the White House. President Trump also honored Aldrin, Gene Kranz (a flight director), and the Apollo 11 mission in his speeches.
See Also
