Where were you 50 years ago tonight? (you who were old enough to remember)

[El Supremo]

I was a senior in High School suffering from mononucleosis. I slept 20 hours a day and couldn't go to school. But I did get up early every day to throw my paper route. I watched this during an awake period. One my favorite memories. Man, 1968 sucked except for this.

[Demovictory9]

1. i recall my brother watching all that moon stuff. it was a very big deal back then

[marked50]

22. Watched this then and actually

thought the moon landing later was not as big of deal.

[Solly Mack]

2. Atlanta, Georgia.

Trying to be good. I was a wee bairn.

[akraven]

3. First Christmas in Fairbanks! TV delayed at least 3 weeks - but got it by radio.

Snow, moose in the lane, mom running over mailboxes, Sears catalog, a real tree (w/roots and replanted), and fresh from Florida, where I'd lived all my 14 years!

Reindeer! (local University farm to replenish them).

I still love it.

[luvs2sing]

4. Sitting on the sofa with my dad.

I was eleven. Three days earlier, my mother had a “nervous breakdown” and was hospitalized. She was the one who instilled a love of space and exploration in me. But, she was in the hospital, not with Dad and me on Christmas Eve. We watched in amazement. The next day, I was shuffled around to different relatives’ houses so Dad could spend the day with Mom. The family I knew would never be the same again. To this day, I weep whenever I see this.

[AJT]

5. I was a kid glued to the TV! It was thrilling.

[UniteFightBack]

6. What a beautiful and hopeful way to end a terrible awful year. I think we may.....

survive.

[irisblue]

7. Grandma Ds' living room, on a sheet so we kids, wouldn't spill our holiday dinner on the rug.

4 kids, all under 10, poppa, grandma, mom & dad and the moon on TV.

[TruckFump]

8. Home from University for the Holidays.

Most likely in the den at my parents' home and wrapping presents.

[safeinOhio]

9. Sharing a joint in a

friends apartment.

[Sancho]

10. I watched it on TV...unbelievable...

[yardwork]

11. Home with my family. I was 8 years old.

I thought that the pictures of the earth were some of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen.

[Submariner]

12. On duty on pig boat in dry dock at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard

Swapped duty days with a married guy with kids. Xmas eve for an upcoming weekend duty day.

[Mr. Ected]

13. I was a 3rd grader in Dallas, Texas

And my wife was 3 weeks old to the day in Decatur, Georgia.

[El Supremo]

15. I was in Dallas too.

I remember KLIF playing Telstar by the Tornadoes a lot.

[Stinky The Clown]

14. I was on the fire watch crew of the former USS Pandemus (ARL18) in Charleston, SC.

I was on the ship at the of decommissioning. She was destined to be used for target practice, A small crew was assigned to patrol her for fire or sinking (she was leaky like you wouldn't believe).

We stayed in Officers' Country and had little to do beyond hourly patrols. We watched that broadcast. I recall being struck by the modern navigators speaking from the moon at the same time I was looking for leaks on a World War II landing ship converted to work ship and now scrap.

[Raine]

16. I had just graduated high school that spring

and started college. I was probably getting ready for the evening, I really can't remember exactly.

[aka-chmeee]

17. I'm certainly old enough to remember

....I'm just too old to remember!

[El Supremo]

23. Touche'

I'm not there yet. But probably soon.

[DavidDvorkin]

18. Recovering from days without sleep working on the mission.

[Brother Buzz]

19. I was in California and have ZERO memory of that event

1968 was a tumultuous year for me, and I'm guessing I had dialed EVERYTHING out by December.

[rickford66]

20. We were watching the live TV coverage.

Soon after in January I was in the Navy.

[Crabby Appleton]

21. I was about 25 miles north of Saigon Vietnam

In the US Army, didn't have access to a TV. Stars & Stripes Newspaper was our primary news source so I likely read about it in there.

[kentuck]

36. I was in Cam Ranh...

I don't remember Apollo 8.

[dawg day]

24. my parents took us to south of Cape Canaveral to watch the liftoff--

I've never forgotten it.

[El Supremo]

25. The importance of it:

[PJMcK]

26. I was ten years old

My family watched this broadcast. It has always been etched in my memory.

[MicaelS]

27. Watching it on TV.

I was 11.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

28. Ew...the kissing disease, ES !!!!!

[El Supremo]

30. That's why they wouldn't let me back in school...

for two weeks. And it was an all boys school!

[Laura PourMeADrink]

32. Wow...bet everyone thought you were super cool. nt

[Va Lefty]

29. At home watching with my Mom and Dad on a B&W TV

[madinmaryland]

31. Yes. I remember that. Seven months later Apollo 11 landed on the moon.

The possibilities seemed endless.

[El Supremo]

34. Yes. Were you watching the Real Dallas Cowboys?

Or only in your addled memory?

[lapucelle]

33. Earlier that same day on Apollo 8...

https://earthsky.org/space/apollo-8-earthrise-december-24-1968-new-simulation

[El Supremo]

35. You know that Jim Lovell was the only man to fly to the moon twice and..

not land. Apollo 8 and 13.

[49jim]

37. Just finished my sophomore year (1st)

semester at Suffolk Community College, Selden, NY. Spent evening with my girlfriend (now my wife). We'll be celebrating our 48th wedding anniversary in 2019.

[LeftInTX]

38. At home. I don't remember what I did..

We usually sang Christmas carols and prepared for Christmas Day.

I remember the next day vividly. I got up and got into the chocolate covered cherries. My mom told me they would make me sick on an empty stomach. 5 minutes later, I was sick to my stomach. My sister got sick a few minutes later. We had the Hong Kong flu.

I didn't watch the lunar landing in 69. I tried watching it, but the thing was taking forever to land and moon rocks all looked the same to me. I watched recaps on the news. I really enjoyed the pictures in Life.

[DFW]

39. In Barcelona, Spain

Dreading the countdown to Nixon's inauguration.

My Catalan friends were not overly sympathetic, saying, "hey, at least you get to HAVE an election!"

[pfitz59]

40. I watched it on TV

with my whole family. I was 9

[Mendocino]

41. Suffering from the flu.

The 1968 pandemic sickened the whole family. We were all sick at one time or another. I was ten.

But when not sleeping or coughing, we listened to Apollo 8. After the chaos of 68 we all had the hope that all would be well again.