Last updated: October 29, 2019
Article
John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site Commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing
On July 20, 1969, President Kennedy’s dream of landing an American on the moon was realized. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of this historic achievement, John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site presented several “out-of-this-world” interpretive programs over the weekend of July 19-21, 2019.
On Friday, former NASA astronaut Dr. Jeffrey Hoffman presented on his experiences in space and President Kennedy’s role in the Apollo Program. Logging more than 1,211 hours and 21.5 million miles in space, Dr. Hoffman captivated his audience with personal stories about his time with NASA, which included repairing the Hubble Space Telescope in 1993.
On Saturday, presidential scholar Dr. Barbara Perry gave a presentation on President Kennedy’s visionary leadership that made the moon landing a reality. With special expertise on JFK and as author of several books on the Kennedy family, Dr. Perry explained how the formative experiences of JFK’s youth shaped him into a president who “thought big.” She engaged the audience with snippets of Kennedy’s 1962 speech at Rice University in which he laid out the reasons for going to the moon.
Following Dr. Perry’s presentation, 2019 college interns Courtney Riser, Suzanne Wright, and Teddy Miele facilitated rounds of “Big Bang Bingo and Extra-Terrestrial Trivia”, a fun and educational game centered on the moon landing. One of the most enthusiastic contestants was Bella, a six-year old girl visiting from Vietnam, who won round two. She chose a staff-made moonshot bookmark as her prize. In a heartfelt moment that followed, Dr. Perry bought her a book from the gift shop, wrote an encouraging message inside of it, and the two had a discussion about life goals, personal interests, and the importance of reading.
Efforts to build awareness and enthusiasm around the moon landing started early in 2019. In May, the site welcomed Dr. Douglas Brinkley for a presentation on his new book American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race. One-sheets about the moon landing, which included a space race word search, were created as supplements to the site’s Junior Ranger program. Additionally, staff engaged in weekly readings and discussions of scholarly articles about different aspects of the moon landing and early space program.
The site is celebrating its own 50th anniversary in 2019 and so the combination of these landmark occasions provided the perfect opportunity for JOFI staff to engage the public in new and exciting ways.
On Friday, former NASA astronaut Dr. Jeffrey Hoffman presented on his experiences in space and President Kennedy’s role in the Apollo Program. Logging more than 1,211 hours and 21.5 million miles in space, Dr. Hoffman captivated his audience with personal stories about his time with NASA, which included repairing the Hubble Space Telescope in 1993.
On Saturday, presidential scholar Dr. Barbara Perry gave a presentation on President Kennedy’s visionary leadership that made the moon landing a reality. With special expertise on JFK and as author of several books on the Kennedy family, Dr. Perry explained how the formative experiences of JFK’s youth shaped him into a president who “thought big.” She engaged the audience with snippets of Kennedy’s 1962 speech at Rice University in which he laid out the reasons for going to the moon.
Following Dr. Perry’s presentation, 2019 college interns Courtney Riser, Suzanne Wright, and Teddy Miele facilitated rounds of “Big Bang Bingo and Extra-Terrestrial Trivia”, a fun and educational game centered on the moon landing. One of the most enthusiastic contestants was Bella, a six-year old girl visiting from Vietnam, who won round two. She chose a staff-made moonshot bookmark as her prize. In a heartfelt moment that followed, Dr. Perry bought her a book from the gift shop, wrote an encouraging message inside of it, and the two had a discussion about life goals, personal interests, and the importance of reading.
Efforts to build awareness and enthusiasm around the moon landing started early in 2019. In May, the site welcomed Dr. Douglas Brinkley for a presentation on his new book American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race. One-sheets about the moon landing, which included a space race word search, were created as supplements to the site’s Junior Ranger program. Additionally, staff engaged in weekly readings and discussions of scholarly articles about different aspects of the moon landing and early space program.
The site is celebrating its own 50th anniversary in 2019 and so the combination of these landmark occasions provided the perfect opportunity for JOFI staff to engage the public in new and exciting ways.