With this being the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, some of us will be reliving memories. My memories may be from a slightly different perspective than most who watched the event on TV.


My parents were on holiday with their three youngest kids, me being the oldest. We stopped for the night at a small inn, in Kigali Rwanda. The inn was made up of 5-10 rondavels, one being the office and home of the 80+ year old Belgium lady that owned and ran the inn.

We knew about the goal of landing on the moon, but had no idea time frame, as we were out of radio frequency where we lived and when we read newspapers they were normally a few weeks old.

The next morning I went with my dad to pay and check out. The Belgium lady was very excited and animated. She spoke French and Kinyarwanda. We spoke English and Kiswahili. She knew some German words and my father knew some German from the war. She had the radio on, but we didn't understand what was being said. At first dad was concerned war had broken out. The DRC had serious problems at the time. Uganda had problems. An assassination attempt was about to take place on Milton Obote, and Idi Amin would over throw him in two years. We were living in Tanzania where a couple coup attempts had taken place since independence. Then of course there had been issues in this part of Africa between the Watusi and the Bahutu for centuries. With relief we finally determined that it wasn't war she was trying to tell us about.

Finally after a few minutes of pointing at the ceiling and doing charades, my father figured out that man had walked on the moon. It would be another year before I would see a recording of the events of July 69, but my memory of the event will always be of this old Belgium lady jumping up and down doing charades and speaking French like an auctioneer.

What a lovely and unique story. Thank you.
I was just a 15 year old kid sitting in front of a B&W TV in Minneapolis.

Fantastic! What an interesting story.

Cool story Bob!

I remember making a giant "11" on the front lawn with sparklers stuck in the ground.

After watching the landing and first walk, we went outside and lit all the sparklers to commemorate the moment.

I was 12 years old. Seems like at least 100 years ago!!

Great story, Bob. Thanks for sharing

I can't compete with holidaying in Rwanda.

I didn't see the moon landing until the next day. I was getting ready to ride a steer in a junior rodeo. I was in the chute and they stopped the rodeo to announce that Neil Armstrong had just walked on the moon.

How cool! I have been watching the various anniversary programs on the evening TV.

My family had just moved to a once rural area of Michigan and were remodeling the old farmhouse for us on the property at the time. I was only 6 years old when this occurred and was really much more interested in dinosaurs but I do remember it.

Truly fascinating to see how others around the world viewed it as well. Thanks for your story!

I remember it and I was only 5 1/2 years old living in Abilene, TX while my father went back to college at Abilene Christian College and my mom taught grade school.

We had an old black & white Sylvania TV that got 2 channels some of the time. My whole family sat and watched it.

That year for Christmas I asked for a space helmet and somehow “Santa Claus” gathered up enough money to bring me one.

shucks, hate to out do you folks.

I was running a lathe in Co/Spgs Aircraft Mechanics. Turned some pins for the second manned space flight. Had to do with seat adjustments I was told.

When Apollo 11 happened wife and I were sitting in front of the tv watching it happen soon as it was shown.

Always great memories.

George

I kinda have to laugh about it.

I was just shy of 2. My baby brother had just come home from being born.

Supposedly I sat with him and pointed at the landing on TV and made sounds like "Moon."

Maybe it was all wishful thinking on my parent's part too...

But I can't say I remember it.

All you guys fell for some fluff stuff shot on Burbank movie studio

I was not born so I missed it

Mike

Thank You great story

Great story, thank you!

PS: Great OP story...thanks for sharing.

Thanks again Bob! I am very nostalgic and just love hearing about the "good old days". Recounting events like this really helps me stay grounded in todays society.

I was 5-1/2 years old and had just come in from the pasture with b-b gun in hand to have a glass of ice tea when my mom told me about the landing.

quote:

All you guys fell for some fluff stuff shot on Burbank movie studio

Funny, but my father never believed that they landed on the moon. He claimed that they filmed it in the desert in Arizona!

Back in the late 80’s, I was living in Rancho Sante Fe just north of San Diego. The town is very small and pretty much everyone knows everyone in passing. Went to a cocktail party one night and Neil Armstrong was there( he had retired there). I introduced myself and told him I just wanted to thank him for his service. He was very gracious and a self-deprecating individual. I still vividly remember watching the moon landing.

Little 3 1/2 year old me sat on the couch with my mother watching this. Her arms around me to gently wake me as I repeatedly dozed off. Saw Armstrong take his step onto the Lunar surface on a B&W tv.

Have never forgotten the image in all these years.

Sorry fellas, my mother landed on the moon ten years earlier as Miss Space.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/w.../111675265732120070/

I wasn’t born then, but I’ve enjoyed the shows recently.

However, I have been to the Johnson Space Center outside of Houston. The control room is preserved as it was back then. It’s a cool thing to see. What’s amazing is that the phone I’m typing this on has more computing technology than that whole damn control room.

Neat story. Thanks. I remember watching it on T.V.

I was ten , sat in the classroom of our rural school in New Zealand with 40 other kids , watching a grainy B&W tv as history was made .

Please dont tell me it was filmed in a movie studio back lot - that isnt my childhood memory.

I choose to believe even when there are a plethora of conspiracy theorists throwing out crap all the time.