My July 20 1969

Apollo 11 lands on the Moon, July 20, 1969.
NASA image

Apollo 11 landed on the moon at 3:17 Central Daylight Time Sunday, July 20, 1969.

I was 5 years old, ready to turn 6 two months later.

My dad and I were in East Peoria, Illinois at my paternal grandparents.

Mom, and I'm pretty sure Grandma, were in Houston, Texas.  They wasn't helping in Mission Control; but attending the Lutheran Women's Missionary League Convention.

Just how intentional it was for the group to be in the same city as the space program headquarters - I have no idea.  I'm fairly sure, mom was more focused on the conference than men on the moon.

I don't remember how I felt.  It happened at 9:56 Central Time, I remember watching television with Dad and Grandpa and instinctively knowing this was a very big deal.  That has to be the reason that 50 years later, my mind's eye clearly sees three Mossner men in a small living room in central Illinois caring about what was happening 238,900 miles away.

Dad was an engineer, a man of science.  He took me to museums and talked about big events.  I recall a visit to Milwaukee with him to see the remains of Apollo One (or perhaps a model, I'm not sure).

50 years later - the Apollo 11 moon landing is the first event in my lifetime where I remember exactly where I was when it happened.

What was yours?