The Smithsonian’s Air & Space Museum, The Kennedy Center and the Newseum will all be commemorating the Apollo 11 Fortieth Anniversary this month. It is hard to believe that 40 years ago Neil Armstrong radioed back to Houston that “The Eagle has Landed” and man took his first steps on the moon. With those first steps Armstrong famous quote, "That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," was born.
Beginning July 16, 2009 there are many lectures, films, exhibits and book signings to attend around the city to celebrate this historic occasion.
Here are some of the highlights:
- July 16, 2009: NASA History Panel’s Apollo 40th Anniversary Symposium will take place at NASA Headquarters Auditorium (300 E. St. SW, Washington, DC) in Washington, D.C. at 1 p.m. This is a round table discussion, free and open to the public. Don’t sweat it if you can’t make it. This will be broadcast live on NASA TV.
- July 18, 2009: Head over to the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts for a “Salute to Apollo: The Kennedy Legacy”. The concert begins at 8 p.m. and features Denyce Graves, Chaka Kahn, Jamia Nash, narrators Buzz Aldrin and Scott Altman, and the Soldiers Chorus of the U.S. Army Field Band. This is a FREE event and tickets are required. An extremely limited number of tickets will be available for distribution, two per person, on a first-come, first-served basis on Saturday, July 18th from 10 a.m. to Noon in the Hall of Nations.
- July 15, 2009: Ask the Expert at the National Air & Space Museum. Every Wednesday at noon, a Museum staff member talks to the public about the history, collection, or personalities related to a specific artifact or exhibition in the Museum. Apollo 11 40th Anniversary: Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia will be the subject that Allan Needell discusses. There's also a talk on July 22 with Apollo 11 being the featured subject. Talks typically last 10-15 minutes and begin at the Museum "Great Seal", in the Milestones of Flight gallery on the first floor.
- July 19, 2009: Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum hosts its Annual John H. Glenn Lecture. The event is sold out, but will air live at 8 p.m. EDT on NASA TV.
- July 20, 2009: The Newseum will host a panel event commemorating the historic landing on the Moon. The panel includes Apollo astronauts Buzz Aldrin, but if you can’t make it, watch it at 2 p.m. on NASA TV. Cost of admission to the Newseum gets you into the discussion, but there's limited seating so get there early.
