40 years ago today Irish-American astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon, delivered there by Irish-American command module pilot astronaut Michael Collins. Upon finding that the rumors of a Mooney's Irish Pub being located there to be unfounded, they picked up some rocks, turned around and went home.
Being an old geezer, I remember listening as a small boy to the moon landing on the radio in the family station wagon that day 40 years ago. We were on vacation in the mountains and had no television available at the time. Almost 8 years later, the 600 year old nun who was my 8th grade teacher at Our Lady Of Perpetual Help would tell our science class that "some day, children, man will land on the moon. But it won't be in your lifetimes and it won't be in mine." And that quality parochial education is the reason I'm so successful today.
So where were you 40 years ago today?
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About Me
- Danny Regan
- Danny is a founder, past president, and creative director of the Kansas City Irish Fest. He lives in Kansas City, Missouri, the greatest city in America. He's authored Tir na Blog since 2006.
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7 comments:
I was right where you are now. Diapers.
McCarthy
They're called adult undergarments, McCarthy.
I vividly remember watching the moon landing on the black and white tv at our house in Daisy Hill, (Lancs, England).
Glued to TV with family in Miami, Fla.
I always like to point out on the anniversary ( for those who don't know ) how close we came to not seeing it happen at all.
I once worked with a fellow at IBM who was there in the Houston Control Room that night.
At about 30 feet from the surface of the moon, the onboard computer in the LEM signaled 'No fuel left' and all the ABORT alarms went off. You can now hear them on the recently released CAPCOM tapes.
It was one brave guy in Houston with his slide ruler who shouted "The computer is WRONG. We still have 20 seconds of fuel left." Armstrong was given permission to ignore the computer and the alarms and go ahead and drop the remaining 30 feet.
When the dust cleared... Men were on the moon and there was still 3 seconds of fuel left.
Lesson: Never fully trust a computer. It's as true today as it was that night 40 years ago.
I was but a twinkle in me father's eye.
Almost naked, sweaty, and drooling on the living room floor.
Get your mind out of the gutter — I was nine days away from my first birthday!
CTG
I was 14, and walking home from Ward Parkway Country Club with a boyfriend. We walked right smack down the middle of the street because there wasn't a car in sight! Everyone was inside watching the moon landing.
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