Swimmers assist Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene A. Cernan,
left, Ronald E. Evans, and Harrison H. “Jack” Schmitt in
the life raft. (NASA Image)

The Apollo Lunar-Landing program came to an
end on December 19, 1972, when the last three
astronauts to travel to the moon splashed
down safely in the  Pacific Ocean.

Apollo 17 had lifted off from Cape Canaveral,
Florida 10 days before.

        

         
         
       

In the East End of London on July 2, 1865, revivalist preacher
William Booth and his wife Catherine established the Christian
Mission, later known as the Salvation Army.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963)

An optimistic and upbeat President John F. Kennedy suggested
that the Soviet Union and the United States cooperate on a
mission to mount an expedition to the moon. The proposal
caught both the Soviets and many Americans off guard.

In 1961, shortly after his election as president, John F. Kennedy announced that he was determined to win the “space race” with
the Soviets.