Posted on July 17, 2024
The Apollo Moon Landing
July 20, 1969
We are pleased to commemorate the historic Apollo moon landing on its 55th anniversary, celebrated on July 20, 1969. Did you know that Armstrong Park, established in 1969, is named after Neil Armstrong, the commander of this groundbreaking mission and the first man to set foot on the moon? Additionally, the former Aldrin Community Center that was located at Armstrong Park, honored Buzz Aldrin, the lunar module pilot. The community center was taken down in 2012 to make way for two water reservoirs and a pumping station as part of the $5 million county stormwater management project to help ease flooding in nearby neighborhoods. The first enclosed pool in Carol Stream was named Collins Pool after Mike Collins, the astronaut who accompanied Armstrong and Aldrin on the Apollo mission. The pool closed in 2006.
Upon his first step on the moon’s surface, Neil Armstrong made the famous remark, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” recognizing the mission’s profound significance not just for the United States, but for the entire world. Since the historic Apollo moon landing, Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins have been celebrated as American heroes.
Fun fact: The moon is a vast place, roughly three times the size of Texas. Armstrong and Aldrin spent over two hours exploring an area they named “Tranquility Base.” During their 21-hour and 36-minute stay on the moon, the crew collected nearly 50 pounds of lunar material to bring back to Earth, which only weighed about 8.5 pounds in the moon’s lower gravity (quite the souvenir!).
Happy 55th Anniversary to our nation’s first moon landing!
