Where were you on July 20, 1969? If you were old enough, you may have been among the largest television audience in world history eagerly awaiting the first steps on the Moon of American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.
Relive those moments with the Rock Island Library's special preview of Chasing the Moon, a new PBS documentary series about the space race. In cooperation with PBS and local station WQPT-TV Quad Cities PBS, the library will screen a a clip from Episode 3, "The Giant Leap," on Monday, June 10, from 10:00 am to to 11:30 am in the Community Room of the Rock Island Downtown Library, 401 19th Street.
Following the clip, which reflects on the tension and excitement from the launch of Apollo 11 on July 16, 1969 to the lunar module landing on July 20, the library will host a discussion about this most historic of launches. Whether you remember the event from being there in person, or just want to hear from those who do, the screening will help you experience this historic anniversary.
Scheduled in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, Chasing the Moon is a film by Robert Stone, his eighth project for American Experience. Chasing the Moon reimagines the race to the moon for a new generation, telling a behind-the-scenes story of the drive to land man on the moon, one fueled as much by politics as it was by technology. It premieres Monday-Wednesday, July 8-10, 2019 on PBS. The American Experience Chasing the Moon will air on IPTV from 7-9 p.m. on July 8-10, and again on WQPT Quad Cities Public Television Sunday, July 21, July 28, and August 4, starting at 7:00 pm.
The event is free and open to all ages. It's part of the Rock Island Library's Summer of Space, and its Universe of Stories summer reading and programming, June 1 to July 31. For more details, visit the library website or call 309-732-READ.