# Where were you when the Eagle landed? (for Dopers old enough to remember) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 20, 2005, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-were-you-when-the-eagle-landed-for-dopers-old-enough-to-remember/313301 "2005-07-20T15:33:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-were-you-when-the-eagle-landed-for-dopers-old-enough-to-remember/313301/41 "2005-07-20T19:58:06Z")
I was three days old. Mom and Dad watched TV from the hospital. Amazing how many of us are about the same age. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-were-you-when-the-eagle-landed-for-dopers-old-enough-to-remember/313301/42 "2005-07-20T20:07:58Z")
I was 19, sitting at home watching it with my dad (my mom wasn’t too interested, as I recall). I was really into it, although I didn’t think it was as cool as the earlier mission where they orbited the moon. Seeing shots of the moon getting closer (and I think there were shots of the earth getting farther away, but that may be a manufactured memory) was just amazing to me. I remember there was a lot of concern that the lander would sink in the moon dust and maybe fall over and I worried about that. Probably the astronauts knew better, but not the press. ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mycroft\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_H)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-were-you-when-the-eagle-landed-for-dopers-old-enough-to-remember/313301/43 "2005-07-20T20:09:43Z")
I was ten years old watching in a hotel lobby just outside of Athens. (Family vacation.) For the first moon walk, the transmission on Greek TV went out just at the critical moment. (Argh!) Still, wonderfully memorable. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-were-you-when-the-eagle-landed-for-dopers-old-enough-to-remember/313301/44 "2005-07-20T20:15:30Z")
> [@kelly5078](#): > > I was 19, sitting at home watching it with my dad (my mom wasn’t too interested, as I recall). I was really into it, although I didn’t think it was as cool as the earlier mission where they orbited the moon. Seeing shots of the moon getting closer (and I think there were shots of the earth getting farther away, but that may be a manufactured memory) was just amazing to me. > > I remember there was a lot of concern that the lander would sink in the moon dust and maybe fall over and I worried about that. Probably the astronauts knew better, but not the press. Thanks for confirming something I half remembered. I was concerned that something bad was going to happen once they stepped onto the surface. I doubted that there was green cheese, but I wasn’t convinced the surface was all that solid. Glad I was wrong to worry, but that’s how I watched it. ---
**Author:** ![madcossack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@madcossack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madcossack)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-were-you-when-the-eagle-landed-for-dopers-old-enough-to-remember/313301/45 "2005-07-20T20:19:01Z")
I was about 3 1/2, living in a small town in Wisconsin. I don’t remember too many details, but one scene from that event has stuck with me. My Dad was a Navy combat pilot, instructor, and test pilot. I didn’t know it at the time, but I guess he actually applied to become an astronaut years before (probably Mercury or Gemini). Didn’t make the cut. So when they landed on the moon (or maybe when Arnstrong stepped on to the surface, can’t remember which), I distinctly remember turning and seeing my Dad with tears in his eyes. I’ve never sked him about it, but I don’t think he was sad. I think he was overwhelmed with what they had accomplished. Now I’ve got to ask him! (Damn, sometimes this board brings up weird memories) ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-were-you-when-the-eagle-landed-for-dopers-old-enough-to-remember/313301/46 "2005-07-20T20:28:32Z")
Summer theater production of Brigadoon. They had set up a huge tent with the stage at one end and we were in rehearsals. Hot and very humid. One of the cast timidly raised their hand and said, “can we go to the classroom next door and see the moon landing? They will be landing in a few minutes.” Our director was a tyrant. He said, “no.” So, while the world was watching man land on the moon, I was doing the Highland Fling in a kilt. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-were-you-when-the-eagle-landed-for-dopers-old-enough-to-remember/313301/47 "2005-07-20T20:52:15Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > I was concerned that something bad was going to happen once they stepped onto the surface. They knew the “sink into the lunar dust” guy was a flake. There was a probe on one of the lander legs that would see how deep it was, though. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-were-you-when-the-eagle-landed-for-dopers-old-enough-to-remember/313301/48 "2005-07-20T22:21:22Z")
Working the band saw at the back of Arc-Mation, cutting hexagonal stock that would be turned (literally) into bolts for some system to be installed on the USS Enterprise. A little before the landing, one of the bosses brought out a 13" B&W TV from home and set it up on a shelf against the office wall and all of us shop rats walked over to watch the TV broadcast. When they were down, safely, the boss turned off the TV and sent us back to work (we had about an hour left on the shift). ---
**Author:** ![JohnM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/848f3c/32.png) [@JohnM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnM)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-were-you-when-the-eagle-landed-for-dopers-old-enough-to-remember/313301/49 "2005-07-20T22:36:24Z")
I was nearly ten, and visiting family outside D.C. I watched the landing in the basement of an aunt’s house in Alexandria, VA, with parents, cousins, aunts, uncles (probably about a dozen of us.) I also remembering listening to the launch on the radio in my grandfather’s car while we were driving to Alexandria from our home in southern WV. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-were-you-when-the-eagle-landed-for-dopers-old-enough-to-remember/313301/50 "2005-07-20T22:48:05Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > They knew the “sink into the lunar dust” guy was a flake. > There was a probe on one of the lander legs that would see how deep it was, though. 🙂 You hear this sometimes with the “the moon landing is a hoax” folks or the “the moon is just 6000 years old” folks. From what I understand, the argument is that if the moon is really billions of years old, the depth of the moon dust created from all the meteorites hitting the surface should be at least meters deep. But, look! You can see pictures of the astronauts’ foot prints that are obviously only inches deep. The answer is that the sand on most beaches is meters deep also, but that doesn’t mean you sink to bedrock when you step on it. Compression and friction, and all that. I also remember from that night Neil Armstrong’s immortal words: “That’s one small step for . . . [mumble something], one giant . . . leap for [mumble something].” ---
**Author:** ![Julius\_Henry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8797f3/32.png) [@Julius\_Henry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Julius_Henry)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-were-you-when-the-eagle-landed-for-dopers-old-enough-to-remember/313301/51 "2005-07-20T22:57:54Z")
I was eleven, watching it at home with my family and a visiting aunt who thanked us for the wonderful entertainment we had arranged just for her visit. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-were-you-when-the-eagle-landed-for-dopers-old-enough-to-remember/313301/52 "2005-07-20T23:09:28Z")
> [@madcossack](#): > > I was about 3 1/2, living in a small town in Wisconsin. I don’t remember too many details, but one scene from that event has stuck with me. > > My Dad was a Navy combat pilot, instructor, and test pilot. I didn’t know it at the time, but I guess he actually applied to become an astronaut years before (probably Mercury or Gemini). Didn’t make the cut. > > So when they landed on the moon (or maybe when Arnstrong stepped on to the surface, can’t remember which), I distinctly remember turning and seeing my Dad with tears in his eyes. I’ve never sked him about it, but I don’t think he was sad. I think he was overwhelmed with what they had accomplished. > > Now I’ve got to ask him! (Damn, sometimes this board brings up weird memories) If you can, share what he tells you with us. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-were-you-when-the-eagle-landed-for-dopers-old-enough-to-remember/313301/53 "2005-07-20T23:14:34Z")
> [@Stryfe](#): > > Location - The womb > > Activity - Gestating Ditto. With just two months to go. ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-were-you-when-the-eagle-landed-for-dopers-old-enough-to-remember/313301/54 "2005-07-20T23:18:08Z")
I was about 10-12 miles west of Danang at a company size base called Cobb Bridge. Somehow, someone had glommed onto a tv for the event. It must have been battery powered because we had no electricty. I don’t remember ever seeing it again. ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2005, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-were-you-when-the-eagle-landed-for-dopers-old-enough-to-remember/313301/55 "2005-07-21T01:00:02Z")
A brief note: My Grandmother, who was a nutjob numerology and “hidden-messages” kinda gal, once pointed out to me: "Do you know the name of the first person to set foot on another world? Neil A. Armstrong. Well, Neil A., spelled backwords, is **ALIEN!"** That is about all I have retained from her lengthy dialogs. But that part is pretty cool 😃 ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2005, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-were-you-when-the-eagle-landed-for-dopers-old-enough-to-remember/313301/56 "2005-07-21T01:07:33Z")
It was the day after my 8th birthday. Their landing happened some hours before the moonwalk, so there were all those hours of yes, it’s true, there are people who have landed on the Moon. In Morovis, Puerto Rico, at the house my father still owns, Channel 2’s signal was as ghosty as the signal from Eagle itself, so it was damn hard to make sense of what was there, and it was late at night and I had been up for so long and was so tired… I drifted off at some point during the broadcast. I was a Space Kid. I was enthralled by everything space program, the rockets, the ships, the people, wanted to go to the Moon or into orbit myself some day. NASA rewarded my devotion first for Xmas of 68 with the first picture of Earthrise, and the Reading from Lunar orbit; and then for my birthday of 69, with Man on the Moon. Even at that early age, I could sense that '68 had not been a specially happy year, and it was good to see the grownups actually looking forward excitedly to the news… > [@SandyHook](#): > > I was about 10-12 miles west of Danang… …but lucky little me, the other news, the ones _they_ normally dreaded watching, were not quite real to me, yet. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2005, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-were-you-when-the-eagle-landed-for-dopers-old-enough-to-remember/313301/57 "2005-07-21T01:08:45Z")
I was an infant. I was born Jan 23, 1969 so I don’t remember any of it. Still, my family says I watched it. Who am I to disagree? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2005, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-were-you-when-the-eagle-landed-for-dopers-old-enough-to-remember/313301/58 "2005-07-21T01:18:28Z")
Glued to the TV. Seeing the Saturn V lifting off was such a rush. The joke was that they weren’t sure if it was going to go up or Florida was going to sink. I miss my model of it. You could take it apart right down to the landing vehicle. Don’t know what I did with it. Now we have the capacity for a multi-vehicle accident on Mars and nobody notices. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2005, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-were-you-when-the-eagle-landed-for-dopers-old-enough-to-remember/313301/59 "2005-07-21T01:33:23Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Now we have the capacity for a multi-vehicle accident on Mars and nobody notices. It’s been a while, which is of course amazing. The popularity of Apollo quickly fell. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2005, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-were-you-when-the-eagle-landed-for-dopers-old-enough-to-remember/313301/60 "2005-07-21T03:04:29Z")
I was 4. (and a half!) My dad was in the Air Force and we had just moved from Manilla to Midwest City Oklahoma. We had just got into the one base temp housing and we set up the TV and watched. I remember jumping on a mattress that was on the floor trying to mimic how they walked on the moon. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-were-you-when-the-eagle-landed-for-dopers-old-enough-to-remember/313301.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-were-you-when-the-eagle-landed-for-dopers-old-enough-to-remember/313301.md?page=4)