47 Years Ago today; where were you and what were you doing!

[gunug]

I guess I don't really remember it like it was yesterday; but I think I was visiting my grandparents house in Herington, KS (a house shamefully misused by assistant bomber Terry Nichols and later I hear destroyed).  I heard about it on the nightly news (WIBW was one of the view stations that would come in on their rooftop antenna).  I think we were fishing when it actually happened!

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/apollo11.html

Moon Walk

Where were you and what were you doing?

[jchuzi]

My wife and I were in Yellowstone National Park while taking a cross-country tour. We didn't see the footage of the landing until we returned home, weeks later.

[RNKIII]

Was at that world renowned military resort/spa, Fort Leonard Wood, MO., in the midst of my 2nd level training.  As I remember it, it was about noon our time, and the kindly drill Sargent allowed us an extended break for lunch, in doors no less, out of the sun, heat, and humidity. Much as we are suffering through here now (86 F & 68% humidity, both on the rise).
Remember we got to break until they had landed and stepped out.  We didn't get off till long after dark, needed to get our full monies worth of training.  


Bob K.   rnkiii

[Paddy]

I was here in Newcastle, at what was then my grandmother's summer cottage on Lake Ontario; if I recall, we spent much of the time trying to keep my almost-7-year-old sister awake; she wasn't all that impressed and it was long past her bedtime! (past mine too, at age 11, but it was a little more exciting for me) We watched it on a 19" B&W "portable" TV, brought from home for the occasion. We didn't normally have a TV here in those days.

[jcarter]

We were sitting on my mom's living room sofa watching it all on TV. Our first child was 1.5 years old and our next one was in the oven.
And our Golden Retriever was a baby too, and you will never guess his name?
Yes, Apollo, along with many of our friend's dogs.

[Xairbusdriver]

I and my family were in the Philippines. No (American) TV. Listened to the event on the Armed Forces Radio. Still couldn't understand the exact words from Neil!

Edit: My wife just reminded me that I didn't 'see' because I was 'in-country'! She, and our 2 yo son did watch it on a TV she'd brought from the States! She even drew a sketch of the room, where the TV (black & white, of course) was and who sat where! She has a terrific memory! Sometimes, unfortunately for me!

[krissel]

Had just graduated from college and looking for a job but living with parents. They went to bed early and I was in my room with my 13" color TV (yes, color) that I had purchased with my meager savings. I had to keep the sound down low so as not to wake the rest of the family but I do remember quietly cheering Neil's words.  

[gunug]

Hey Krissel, do you "remember" it in color?  I do, but I'm sure it wasn't very colorful at that time; maybe it's the colorized flag in the picture attached and on MTV?

[Highmac]

As far as I recall, the time difference and tech of the day meant that we saw a recording (film?) next day, when the boss invited the whole department into his office to see it.

At that time his 21in set was considered large; 17in and 19in were the norm for most homes and colour was still an expensive luxury for the majority. BBC had introduced the country's first colour channel only two years earlier. But, colour or B/W, it was a thrill to see such a momentous event.

Slightly off topic - I worked with a guy who was much too young to have witnessed and was one of the "deniers". However, his mentality was defined by the fact he regarded superheroes as real people  

[gunug]

"he regarded superheroes as real people"



   AREN'T YOU A SUPERHERO!!!

[krissel]

QUOTE(gunug @ Jul 26 2016, 08:35 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey Krissel, do you "remember" it in color?  I do, but I'm sure it wasn't very colorful at that time; maybe it's the colorized flag in the picture attached and on MTV?

Hmmm, funny I never thought much about that. In my memory it seems pretty black and white for the most part, and very blurry. I really don't remember any specific color. Of course back then the live images from the moon weren't exactly the HD images of today.

Not to change the thread subject, but you reminded me of an incident shorty after I got the TV.  I was watching "The Wizard of Oz" which I had seen many times already on my parent's black and white sets. Imagine my surprise when Dorothy opens the door of the crashed house and everything is in brilliant color!  I had no idea the movie was in color since everything I had ever seen on TV was black and white. That really was a shock and I wondered what I had been missing. It took another year or so to convince my folks to get a color set. They kept saying it wasn't yet developed to the point it was worth the expense.  

Edit: Oooh, I just remembered I took pictures of the TV as he was leaving the lander and they are somewhere... I think I scanned them at some point, will try to find them.

[Xairbusdriver]

No matter what color your dreams, the "TV" feed was black and white. The only color images were from the still cameras they had.

My wife even remembered that the local P.I. station had a very loose "schedule"; shows started any time they ran out of commercials! 2:17pm, 2:51 pm, 3:12 pm, etc.

[krissel]

I found two pics I had scanned which were originally slides. They do show little or no color other than the blueish tint from the TV screen. Obviously things were not very clear in the first broadcast from the moon.

Coming in for landing:

[attachment=3291:Moon_landing_on_TV.jpg]


Moon walk:

[attachment=3292:moon_walk_on_TV.jpg]


I also went to the ticker-tape parade for the astronauts in NYC.

[attachment=3293:Apollo_1...s_in_NYC.jpg]