Attraction for the Masses:
By the evening of July 15, 1969, about 500,000 tourists arrived in Brevard County, Florida, where the Kennedy Space Center is located. The launch of Apollo 11 took place on Wednesday, July 16, 1969, at 13:32 UTC. About 5,000 guests of honor were invited to the Kennedy Space Center and 3497 press representatives were seated on a separate platform. The event was directly televised in 33 countries on 6 continents.
The number of cars coming from across the country was expected to be 300,000. The local civil defense headquarters calculated that if so many cars were placed bumper to bumper, their string would stretch for about 1,600 km. https://nationalgeographic.com/science/2019/06/see-50-photos-countdown-to-apollo-11-anniversary/. Accessed 8 Jan. 2020.
"There we were - headed for what was the dream of each man and woman and child at the time. In our hearts we carried humanitie's wish, in our mind we carried its desire for knowledge." - Edwin Aldrin (NASA astronaut/Apollo 11 member)
NASA command center in Florida; this center was the one that held communication with Apollo 11 during its trip to the Moon and back while regulating the entire mission and making sure everything was flowing smoothly. https:www.nasa.gov/feature/the-story-pf-joann-mogran. Accessed 14 Jan. 2020.
The Journey Begins:
On July 16th of 1969, Apollo 11 took off from the Kennedy Space Center with three astronauts - Edwin Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, Michaell Collins - on board. The NASA administrator invited Civil Rights activists to be in VIP seats the day of the launch. In the end, the civil rights leader Ralph Abernathy, said he was “as proud as anyone at the accomplishment” (citation from History.com, 2019).
"Twelve, 11, 10, 9, ignition sequence start. Six, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, zero, all engine running. Liftoff! We have a liftoff, 32 minutes past the hour. Liftoff on Apollo 11” - Jack King (NASA launch commentator)
Apollo 11 takes off from the Kennedy Space Center aiming at the moon with Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin, and Michael Collins aboard. https://www.space.com/apollo-11-moon-launch-50th-anniversary.html. Accessed 23 Dec. 2019.
The three astronauts that participated in the Apollo mission (Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin Aldrin - in order from left to right) a few days before the launch. After heavy preparation at NASA headquarters, the trio was ready to take off. https://news.wbfo.org/post/wny-moon-astronauts-recognize-workers-their-role-mission. Accessed 2 Jan. 2020.