7/21/2010:
In 1969, Americans watched as Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins set out to complete a fantastic journey to the moon.
The first walk on the moon was scheduled for this date. In anticipation of this historical event, President Nixon sent out a request that on July 21, America would celebrate Moon Day as a workers' holiday. Governor William Guy joined other governors in proclaiming it a day of "watchful concern and prayer" for the safety and success of the astronauts' mission. He said the day would hold the legal status of a state holiday, and urged everyone who could to allow their employees to watch the historic first walk unfold.
However, it was soon discovered through a poll that sixty percent of the businesses in the downtown Bismarck area wanted to stay open, despite the holiday. The Burleigh County Courthouse was to be closed, but City Hall and the Bismarck Public Library stayed open, and the Post Office still made special deliveries. The ND Retail Association urged its members to join in the observance, if practical.
The New York and American Stock Exchanges closed, and most federal employees had the day off, but most banks across the nation remained open, and the Boeing Co., one of the companies that built the Saturn V for the Apollo 11 mission, stayed open, due to other commitments.
However, the moon walk was moved up, and on July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 became the first manned mission to land on the moon, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin the first men to step on the moon, and America beat the Soviet Union in the lunar race.
The event quieted the city of Bismarck. Main street traffic was less, pedestrians fewer. Families gathered around television sets with their curtains drawn to make the image brighter as they watched the coverage. Father Spair of St. Anne's Catholic Church said of the event, "God made the universe and it's a lot bigger than we think." He added, "Actually, I thought there was a little hope for mankind after all."
Dakota Datebook written by Sarah Walker
Sources:
The Bismarck Tribune, Friday, July 18, 1969
The Bismarck Tribune, Thursday, July 17, 1969
The Bismarck Tribune, Monday, July 21, 1969
http://www.nasm.si.edu/collections/imagery/apollo/as11/a11.htm
http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/gal114/spacerace/sec300/sec384.htm