Colombia celebrates Independence Day. It declared its autonomy from Spain in 1810. Colombia is a bit less than twice the size of Texas. Bogota is the capital of this country, located on the northwest coast of South America. It exports coffee, bananas, and petroleum. Almost 46 million people live in Colombia. Children can learn more at: Colombia.
Neil Armstrong and Edwin Eugene Aldrin landed the lunar module Eagle on the moon’s surface in 1969. Armstrong walked on the moon first. The first human to do so, he stated, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” The two men walked on the moon for over two hours. Michael Collins stayed aboard the Apollo XI’s service module, Columbia. The moon walk was televised live, and everyone watched the event! The sense of great scientific accomplishment, accompanied by a big dose of patriotism, was amazing! Children could learn more about the landing and video at: Moon Landing.
First Image of Mars
Viking I landed on Mars in 1976. Launched August 20, 1975, Viking I carried cameras, a seismometer, a magnet, and sensors for temperature, wind velocity, and pressure. The Lander began to send data 25 seconds after landing and continued to function until November 11, 1982. Children can learn more at: Viking I.