Bob Gathany

An estimated crowd of more than 12,000 crowded the downtown courthouse square as Huntsvillians paid tribute to the astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission moments after word of the safe splashdown was received.

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Bob Gathany | bgathany@al.com

All around the nation people celebrated the safe return of the Apollo 11 astronauts. Because of Marshall Space Flight Center and Dr. Werner von Braun, Huntsville's celebration was one of the largest parties.

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Bob Gathany

Moon madness 'whoop up' planned… Sirens will squeal, bands blast, church bells ring and fireworks flare. All businesses are being asked to shut down immediately after the splashdown to allow their employees to get to the square. "Please do not bring champagne to the square though" requested Chamber Director Jimmy Walker.

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Bob Gathany

A large crowd started arriving about 8:00am. The celebration officially began when at 12:02 pm Ken Johnson, president of the city council and chairman of the the special committee for the Apollo 11 celebration, announced that the spacecraft was down in the Pacific and doing fine. Cheers and applause from the crowd greeted the announcement. The Army band began to play Stars and Stripes Forever.

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Bob Gathany

Dr. Von Braun arrived in a convertable driven by Sheriff Crabtree which circled the courthouse square one time.

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Bob Gathany

Huntsville Splashdown Celebration on Courthouse Square July 24, 1969. Huntsville TImes Friday July 25, 1969.

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Bob Gathany

Dr. Von Braun was then hoisted on the shoulders of city and county officials and carried up the courthouse steps to address the crowd.

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Bob Gathany

Huntsville Splashdown Celebration on Courthouse Square July 24, 1969.

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Bob Gathany

Film of Dr. Von Braun being carried up the courthouse steps.

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Bob Gathany

Huntsville Splashdown Celebration on Courthouse Square July 24, 1969. Huntsville News Friday July 25, 1969.

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Bob Gathany | bgathany@al.com

Huntsville Splashdown Celebration on Courthouse Square July 24, 1969.

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Bob Gathany

Huntsville Splashdown Celebration on Courthouse Square July 24, 1969. NASA photo courtesy of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Huntsville, Alabama.

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Bob Gathany

"The moon is just a commuter flight," said Werner von Braun, head of the Marshal Space Flight Center as the rocket scientist and thousands of Huntsville residents celebrated the successful completion of the mission to put an man on the moon.

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Bob Gathany

Huntsville Splashdown Celebration on Courthouse Square July 24, 1969. NASA photo courtesy of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Huntsville, Alabama.

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Bob Gathany

Huntsville Splashdown Celebration on Courthouse Square July 24, 1969. NASA photo courtesy of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Huntsville, Alabama.

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Bob Gathany

Huntsville Splashdown Celebration on Courthouse Square July 24, 1969. Huntsville TImes Friday July 25, 1969.

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Bob Gathany

Huntsville Splashdown Celebration on Courthouse Square July 24, 1969. Huntsville TImes Friday July 25, 1969.

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Bob Gathany

Huntsville Splashdown Celebration on Courthouse Square July 24, 1969. Huntsville TImes Friday July 25, 1969.

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Bob Gathany

Huntsville Splashdown Celebration on Courthouse Square July 24, 1969. Huntsville TImes Friday July 25, 1969.

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Bob Gathany

Huntsville Splashdown Celebration on Courthouse Square July 24, 1969. Huntsville News Friday July 25, 1969.

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Bob Gathany

Huntsville Splashdown Celebration on Courthouse Square July 24, 1969. Huntsville News Friday July 25, 1969.

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Bob Gathany

The celebration was to be a show of appreciation "for the work done by Dr. Von Braun and all his team and the astronauts to put man on the moon."

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Bob Gathany

Ad for The Whitesburg Drive-In showing 2001: a space odyssey during the week of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

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Bob Gathany

Apollo 11 related ads from the Huntsville Times - Appliance Center.

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Bob Gathany

Apollo 11 related ads from the Huntsville Times - Dunnavant's.

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Bob Gathany

Apollo 11 related ads from the Huntsville Times - IBM.

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Bob Gathany

Apollo 11 related ads from the Huntsville Times - First Federal Savings & Loan Association.

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Bob Gathany

Apollo 11 related ads from the Huntsville Times - TWA.

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Bob Gathany

Editorial in the Huntsville Times July 25, 1969 regarding Apollo 11 Splashdown Celebration.