50 years on (except Hua Hin)

[J.J.B.]

I’m surprised. I was born a few years after Armstrong and Aldrin set foot on the moon, 50 years ago today, and would have thought some forum members would be reminiscing about this historic event. But no, it’s the plight if the pound, bars closing in Soi 80 and some nonsense about football or some such other sporting event of little importance.

Perhaps I didn’t miss much after all then.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-48991051

[oakdale160]

Since you ask--- I was a post-grad student at McGill University in Montreal. As i did sme teaching I was a member of the Faculty Club and I went there to watch, early evening I think. All day there had been tension and when it happened it felt almost anti-climatic. We had a competition to forecast the first words and one guy got it almost exactly righI also remember Sputnik, when I was an undergrad--no videos but some B & W photos (TV was all B&W).
Then there was Stephensons first steam engine train------

[Dannie Boy]

I was just starting out at work - the 20th July must have been a Sunday because I started work on what was Monday 21st July 1969. In those days it was all about newspaper reporting and/or watching it on your 20 inch B&W TV set. Whilst it was obviously a major moment in world history, I don’t think it was dramatised anything like it would be in today’s high tech environment where even minor events are scrutinised to the Nth degree!!

[joelle]

I was having a private French lesson during the summer holiday to upgrade my below zero marks, it was a very hot day, when my teacher said "let's skip the lesson today and watch this historical moment" and she switched her TV set.
So we looked at the small screen and when he stepped foot on the moon there was roar of oohs and ahhs and applause from the both of us, then we carried on watching with our mouth opened as we were so amazed.
Hope, if she is still alive, that my teacher remembers that day as much as I do !

[sateeb]

Result
on 21 July 1969
1 GBP-Great-Britain [Pound sterling / £]=49.72 THB-Thailand [Thai baht] 1 GBP=49.721821 THB
1 THB-Thailand [Thai baht]=0.02 GBP-Great-Britain [Pound sterling / £] 1 THB=0.020112 GBP



https://fxtop.com/en/historical-currenc ... tnOK=Go%21

[Nereus]

20th July must have been a Sunday...……………….

Surely, it depends entirely where you were in the world at the time. From Wiki, and bear in mind this is from the USA:

July 20th, 1969 (Sunday)
As the world watched on live television, Neil A. Armstrong piloted the descent of the Apollo 11 lunar module, nicknamed "Eagle", and, at 4:17 in the afternoon EDT (2017 UTC), ..........................

At 10:56 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) in the United States (0256 UTC on 21 July), a person from Earth set foot on the Moon for the first time in history.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_1969 ... 9_(Sunday)

I was at work and at the time and most of the staff(at a brickworks),were Italian. Not sure if some of them have recovered from it yet! Most of them were worried that the earth was being invaded and were in tears, and the rest of them said it was all fake! The office had a small B&W tv which we took it in turns to watch.

I guess it is human nature to only recall different events in life. I can vividly recall EXACTLY where I was when the news came of president Kennedy being assassinated, and I was just one week short of my 19th birthday.

[oakdale160]

I was 5, my mother came in woke me up and said--- The army has landed in France, but don't worry daddy isn't going until next week (Typical of my old man, arrived in Normandy after it was all secure, but got all the medals)

[Nereus]

Old Crutch has the following to say about it:
..........................................................................................
The moon and the city noodle shop

https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opi ... oodle-shop

Unless you have been in hibernation you will be aware that yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. Every newspaper and television network has been bombarding us with tales featuring small steps, giant leaps, eagles landing, lift-offs and splashdowns.

It's one of those rare events, like the Kennedy assassination, where you remember exactly where you were at the time Neil Armstrong made those historic steps, followed by Buzz Aldrin. On the downside, if you can remember what you were doing on July 20, 1969, it means that you are, like me, a certified wrinkly.

I watched the landing in an old wooden noodle shop in the Makkasan area. Probably because we were regulars, the noodle shop owner kindly invited my colleague Clarence Shettlesworth and I upstairs and we sat on the wooden floor to watch the great event on his television. There was some flickering, but that was the norm for local TV stations anyway. I recall consuming my regular three baht plate of fried rice, kow pad being one of the few dishes I knew how to order.

Watching Armstrong taking those tentative first steps on the moon's surface was an unforgettable experience and I have been forever grateful to the shop owner for letting us witness such a remarkable event.

On a more upmarket culinary note, the Bangkok restaurant, Neil's Tavern, on Soi Ruam Rudee was named in honour of Armstrong and is also celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

The third man

Ironically, one of the few people not to watch the landing live on television was Mike Collins, now 88, the sometimes forgotten third member of the crew. He was whizzing around the moon's orbit while Armstrong and Aldrin were in the spotlight. One wonders if he ever gets asked what he was doing the day man landed on the moon. "Working" is probably his answer. It was said about Collins that "not since Adam has any human known such solitude" as he orbited the moon alone.

More of Rogers musings at the link...............................>>>>>>>>>>>>

[caller]

I recall watching it live, I vaguely recollect it was in the evening. It was a big event, but after the huge build up and safe return, life went on and moon exploration didn't.

[pharvey]

My father was obviously celebrating - I was born roughly 9 months after the landing!

Would loved to have followed things live, but the Mercury, Appolo and Gemini programs have held great interest for me. Obviously with it being the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, there's been a multitude of television/satelite programs on the subject. One of the best for me being "Chasing the Moon", a series of 6 programs shown on BBC Four.

[Khundon1975]

17 years old, crammed into our sitting room with several neighbours, watching it live. The tension in the room was palpable and you could have heard a pin drop.
I seem to remember my first year at school in 1957 aged 5, a very nerdy teacher had some sort of monitoring device that picked up the Sputnik bleeping signal. At 5 years old, I was very underwhelmed.
He tried to convince us we were listening to a space ship, but we weren’t having any of it. What did he expect from 5 year old kids.

[pharvey]

I seem to remember my first year at school in 1957 aged 5, a very nerdy teacher had some sort of monitoring device that picked up the Sputnik bleeping signal. At 5 years old, I was very underwhelmed.
He tried to convince us we were listening to a space ship, but we weren’t having any of it. What did he expect from 5 year old kids. :(

Well yes, at 5 years old.... but I wasn't even the glint in my father's eye then - but still find it incredible. A great movie covering this time is "October Sky" - Cracking movie!! :thumb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0132477/?r ... f_=nv_sr_1

You never know, you might enjoy it 60 odd years later!! :)

:cheers: :cheers:

[Khundon1975]

Thanks pharvey I’ll give it a look.

[STEVE G]

For anyone with a serious interest in the Apollo program, the NASA website has a huge amount of information about the missions including all the transcripts and audio files and the photos taken on the moon. I've been fascinated ever since watching on television at a young age.
https://history.nasa.gov/afj/index.html

[pharvey]

For anyone with a serious interest in the Apollo program, the NASA website has a huge amount of information about the missions including all the transcripts and audio files and the photos taken on the moon. I've been fascinated ever since watching on television at a young age.
https://history.nasa.gov/afj/index.html

Must admit, I trawl through the Nasa site(s) quite often. As you, have held a fascination for many years - not only for the Apollo missions, but many others including the unmanned Viking and Mars Rover missions....