Neil Armstrong’s Ohio hometown ready to celebrate moon landing anniversary
The front page of the Wapakoneta Daily News, dated Sept. 6, 1969, is photographed at the Auglaize County Public Library archives, Wednesday, June 26, 2019, in Wapakoneta, Ohio. Very down to earth about most things, folks in this small western Ohio city are over the moon as they get ready to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the day they watched their hometown hero along with the world. Neil Armstrong put Wapakoneta on the map in July 1969 when he became the first human to walk on the moon. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Visitors stand before the spacesuit worm by astronaut Neil Armstrong that was used on his Gemini VIII mission at the Armstrong Air & Space Museum, Wednesday, June 26, 2019, in Wapakoneta, Ohio. Neil Armstrong helped put Wapakoneta on the map July 20, 1969, when he became the first human to walk on the moon. The late astronaut remains larger than life in the city 60 miles (96.56 kilometers) north of Dayton, where visitors are greeted by the space base-shaped top of the space museum named for him as they exit Interstate 75. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
FILE - In this July 21, 1969 file photo, Charles Brading, a druggist and personal friend of astronaut Neil Armstrong, checks the size and placing of a temporary sign addition proclaiming their local hero in Wapakoneta, Ohio. Neil Armstrong helped put Wapakoneta on the map July 20, 1969, when he became the first human to walk on the moon. The late astronaut remains larger than life in the city 60 miles (96.56 kilometers) north of Dayton, where visitors are greeted by the space base-shaped top of the space museum named for him as they exit Interstate 75. (AP Photo/GEH)
FILE - In this Sept. 6, 1969 file photo, people sit on the roof ledge of the Auglaize County Courthouse to cheer hometown hero Neil Armstrong waving to the crowd during a parade honoring him for his moon-walk feat. Also shown is his wife, Jan, and son, Eric, in the parade in Wapakoneta, Ohio. Neil Armstrong helped put Wapakoneta on the map July 20, 1969, when he became the first human to walk on the moon. The late astronaut remains larger than life in the city 60 miles (96.56 kilometers) north of Dayton, where visitors are greeted by the space base-shaped top of the space museum named for him as they exit Interstate 75. (AP Photo)
Visitors look on the Gemini VIII spaceship at the Armstrong Air & Space Museum, Wednesday, June 26, 2019, in Wapakoneta, Ohio. Very down to earth about most things, folks in this small western Ohio city are over the moon as they get ready to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the day they watched their hometown hero along with the world. Neil Armstrong put Wapakoneta on the map in July 1969 when he became the first human to walk on the moon. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Patches adorn the spacesuit worm by astronaut Neil Armstrong for the Gemini VIII mission at the Armstrong Air & Space Museum, Wednesday, June 26, 2019, in Wapakoneta, Ohio. Neil Armstrong helped put Wapakoneta on the map July 20, 1969, when he became the first human to walk on the moon. The late astronaut remains larger than life in the city 60 miles (96.56 kilometers) north of Dayton, where visitors are greeted by the space base-shaped top of the space museum named for him as they exit Interstate 75. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
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WAPAKONETA, Ohio — Down to earth about most things, folks in this small western Ohio city are over the moon as they get ready to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the day the world watched their native son take a “giant leap for mankind.”
Neil Armstrong helped put Wapakoneta (wah-PAH’-kuh-net-uh) on the map July 20, 1969, when he became the first human to walk on the moon. The late astronaut remains larger than life in the city 60 miles (96.56 kilometers) north of Dayton, where visitors are greeted by the space base-shaped top of the space museum named for him as they exit Interstate 75.
The city of fewer than 10,000 people has expanded its usual weekend moon festival to 10 days of commemorations and activities with thousands of visitors expected.
