Apollo 11 Ticker-Tape Parade, 1969, NASA.
Beyond Apollo 11
The World Celebrates
Apollo 11 Astronauts Nation Home Coming Parade, 1969, YouTube.
When President Kennedy gave his speech about going to the moon in 1961, it seemed like an impossible task. When Apollo 11 landed on the moon and returned, the entire world celebrated. Ticker tape parades were held in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins had dinner with President Nixon and were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. They visited 24 countries, met with prominent leaders and drew crowds of over 1 million people.
Cold War Victory
In 1957 with the launch of Sputnik, the Soviets claimed communism was superior to capitalism. The Soviets hit every space milestone first until Apollo 11 was first to the moon. Soviet physicist Andrei Sakharov wrote in a letter to the Kremlin in 1970 that America putting a man on the moon proved that a democracy is superior. America showed it could accomplish any technological challenge it undertook, which had an important effect on the Cold War. The Soviets acceptance that the U.S. had the technical ability to accomplish the Strategic Defense Initiative is a good example of this effect.
"I really believe that if the political leaders of the world could see their planet from a distance of, let's say 100,000 miles, their outlook could be fundamentally changed. The all-important border would be invisible, that noisy argument suddenly silenced."
~ Michael Collins
Apollo 11 Astronaut and Grungy Flags of Soviet Union and USA, zed.fr
Environmental Movement
Earthrise, 1968, NASA
Photographs of the Earth in the blackness of space allowed people to see 'Spaceship Earth' for the first time, as it showed the fragile nature of our planet. It is widely believed that the ‘Earthrise’ photo sparked the environmental movement that led to the first Earth Day.
"Lurking right behind beauty was a sense of, it's fragile, it's a fragile little thing out there."
~ Michael Collins
"It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn't feel like a giant. I felt very, very small."
~ Neil Armstrong