MOULTRIE, Ga. — The 1960s were a time of great change in American society. The civil rights movement, the Vietnam war and protests against it, and assassinations of President John Kennedy, his brother Robert Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. demonstrated the divisions that pushed and pulled at the fabric of the nation.

But another event in July of 1969 brought everyone together, as a team of Americans performed a deed once thought of as fantastical: They put a man on the moon.

And Americans everywhere tuned in on television and radio to watch it unfold.

The Observer reached out earlier this week to learn where its readers were 50 years ago when Apollo 11 landed on the moon July 20, 1969.

Here are some of their answers, edited lightly for clarity:

Kalea Weaver

My family and I were living in Alexandria, Virginia. My father was on active duty in the U.S. Navy, stationed in Washington, D.C. The night of the moon landing, at our house, we were gathered around a small, black and white TV set (with “rabbit ears”) sitting on our screened-in porch. It was July and it was hot! We had neighbors coming over to watch with us.  I don’t think anyone went to bed that night. My Dad had to get up early the next morning and fly out of Washington National on business. He said he slept on the plane.  Everybody was talking about the moon landing.

I still have the Washington Post newspaper from July 21, 1969. We moved to Philadelphia one month after the moon landing. Somehow, I have managed to hang onto this paper through probably four moves between 1969-1981, including four years spent overseas.  

Charlotte Cook

The summer of 1969 found me working as a PW at Blue Ridge Assembly, the YMCA assembly grounds in North Carolina.  We were without a conference group the weekend of the moon landing, so we “Poor Workers” were excited to be able to watch the moon landing on the big TV in the lobby of Lee Hall.  It was in the wee hours of the morning, so we prepared snacks of Moon Pies, Coca Cola and chips while we played bridge and charades to entertain each other waiting for the big event.  The group included children of the staff, so we had ages 6 up to mid-80s watching the landing.  When the actual landing began, you could hear a pin drop.  Then the famous quote from the astronaut and we were all astounded! The most senior staff member, in his 80s, sniffed a tear and spontaneous applause broke out.  There was a lot of jumping and cheering and hugging and crying as we realized the profundity of the moment.  I don’t remember all the people’s names, but I surely remember the spirit of joy and pride in America!

Bob Montgomery

I was in my seventh month of a 12-month tour of duty in Phan Rang, Vietnam.  We had no TV’s and no direct contact back to “the World” (how we referred to home, the United States).  I learned of the landing a few days afterwards from those with transistor radios.

With all the negative news coming from the States at that time this was refreshing … and we missed a historic moment.  We all felt that the moon was probably closer to home than we were anyway.  You had to be there.

Mary Turner Nixon

I was standing in the living room in our little home in Jacksonville, Florida, with my stepfather and mother and two sisters, Alice Hilton, and Pellie Martin. I was 8 years old at the time watching history unfold before me on the news! I remember looking up at the sky at the moon-lit night, and thinking a man has been there!

Just as shocked today as I was then with my childish innocence.

Gloria Smith

Fifty years ago I was living in Tampa, Florida, when I watched the journey of Apollo 11.  I will never forget the pride I felt as I watched Neil Armstrong set our flag on the moon. And I loved his “One small Step” speech. I was watching TV late at night, all by myself, as my husband and sons were sleeping.

A few years later, my husband, Joe, and I met astronaut Buzz Aldrin and his wife at a friend’s home. We have a picture taken with him that evening in Stuart, Fla.

Even as a child, I was always interested in the stars and on many late evenings, this little Georgia country girl would gaze at the night sky and point out the special stars and teach my younger brothers, “Look, that’s the North Star!”  “Tonight is a full moon!”

On Feb. 20, 1962, I watched John Glenn on a small black and white TV orbit the earth on Friendship 7. I was in Atlanta, Ga. Joe was at seminary at Emory University.

With all that said, I felt lucky to live 40 years in Florida and experience many of the special space missions from some of my parsonage yards.  I enjoyed all the space adventures except the sad Shuttle Challenger.

On January 28, 1986 I was so excited that a teacher was going up into space with this important astronaut crew. I stayed home from work just to watch her go.  I was watching her on TV in Leesburg, Fla., and all of a sudden my television went blank and silent. I had just seen the lift-off of the Challenger. What happen? I thought it strange my television went silent at such an important moment.

So I stepped outside to see if I could see anything in the direction of the Cape. Then I saw it, the streaks of smoke as the Shuttle had broken apart 73 seconds after launch.  

Christe McAuliffe and all the crew were killed. McAuliffe never got to teach her two planned lessons from the Space Shuttle Challenger.  

I now look forward to our space program reaching Mars. That may be left for my grandchildren to see and write about. I have spent more than 70 years star gazing and observing many full moons.

Teresa Graham

Well, my mom was still in high school so I wasn’t born yet. But I love watching all the shows about how the moon landing came to be. About all the failures and successes they had. And the end result. What a wonderful time it was for those that witnessed it.