Apollo 8 Enters Orbit Around Moon on Christmas Eve 1968
December 24, 1968 Evening Capital Newspaper

Apollo 8 cew patch (NASA) - Airplanes and RocketsOn Christmas Eve of 1968, while war was being waged in Vietnam against the forces of Communism on Earth, Apollo 8 astronauts Frank F. Borman, II, James A. Lovell, Jr., and William A. Anders maneuvered their spacecraft into orbit around the moon. Launched three days earlier on December 21, they became the first manned spacecraft to leave Earth orbit, orbit the moon, and return safely to Earth. The image below is the front page of my hometown newspaper, the Evening Capital, published in Annapolis, Maryland. My father, Arthur Blattenberger, was manager of the classified advertising department for 25 years before succumbing to a heart attack at age 51.

Evening Capital newspaper Apollo 8's insertion into lunar orbit - Airplanes and Rockets 

Front page of the Evening Capital newspaper announces Apollo 8's insertion into lunar orbit.

(newspapers.com screen capture)

Apollo 8's insertion into lunar orbit (inside page of Evening Capital) - Airplanes and Rockets

Apollo 8's insertion into lunar orbit (inside page of Evening Capital)

(newspapers.com screen capture)

'Earthrise' photo from Apollo 8  on December 24, 1968 - Airplanes and Rockets

'Earthrise' photo from Apollo 8 on December 24, 1968

<NASA photo>

Apollo 8's Christmas Eve Message

"And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas -- and God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth." "

 

 

Posted December 19, 2015