The Moon Landing:
American astronauts Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin and Neil Armstrong became the first humans to have ever landed on the moon in 1969. The Apollo 11 mission happened 8 years after President John F. Kennedy announced that they were going to the moon. Six and a half hours after the Apollo 11 landed on the moon, Neil Armstrong took his first steps on the moon. As he did so, he said his famous words: “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” The final manned mission to the moon ended in 1972 with the Apollo 17.
This event is important because:
– Gave kids something to aspire to
– Validated NASA’s existence
– Comeback victory against soviet union in space race
The moon landing was important because it gave kids something to aspire to, it validated NASA’s existence, and was a comeback victory against the Soviet Union in the space race.
The Apollo 11 mission was such an important event because it gave the kids of the 1960s something to aspire to. The cold war had been disastrous on the kids. They were tired growing up of having to hide under desks every for every nuclear bomb drill. Being told that one could grow up and become president didn’t sound so great anymore after Kennedy’s assassination. The next best thing was to grow up to be Mickey Mantle, but that only brought thoughts about liver damage. Then the Apollo 11 mission happened, and now you could grow up to become an astronaut. How fantastic would that be? Can you imagine the wonder on a child’s face watching Armstrong bounce around the moon like that?
Not only did the Apollo 11 mission give kids something to aspire to, but it also validated NASA’s existence. NASA was under a lot of pressure from the government and from the public to do something mind blowing. After President Kennedy promised to put a man on the moon, the scrutiny was even harsher. NASA had no choice but to rush the moon landing as fast as possible. After the mission was a success, NASA received at least 40 years of grants and funding.
Last but not least, the moon landing was a comeback victory against the Soviet Union in the space race. In America’s eyes, it made the Soviets look like babies. America had won the space race by putting a man on the moon, even though the Soviets had bounced off their Luna 2 spacecraft off of the moon ten years earlier. The cold war may have lasted 15 years after that, but it gave the Americans confidence to make movies like Red Dawn. It also showed the world what could be achieved by democracy over communism.
Loff, Sarah. “Apollo 11 Mission Overview.” NASA, NASA, 17 Apr. 2015, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/missions/apollo11.html
This source is reliable because it has come from NASA, who were the ones to have conducted the mission. It is a completely informative article. The article was written as an overview of the Apollo 11 mission.
History.com Staff. “Buzz Aldrin.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2010, www.history.com/topics/buzz-aldrin
This source is reliable because it was written as a biography for Buzz Aldrin. Also History.com is reliable because they have their own TV channel. The article was written for one of the two astronauts who have participated in the mission to the moon.
Cell phone:
The company called Motorola were the first ones to make a call using a hand held mobile phone. On April 3, 1973, Martin Cooper, a Motorola researcher and executive, made the mobile telephone call to his rival, Dr. Joel S. Engel. This was the start to advancements in global communications. There were advancements in the cellular data (1G, 2G, 3G, 4G) and today we see it used by almost everyone above the age of 10. The mobile phone has become a smart phone, now being able to do anything from taking photos to video calling to playing games.
This event is important because:
– It increased the ability to communicate globally
– It has become an everyday part of life, used in social media (Instagram, YouTube, Facebook) to share experiences with other around the world
– Useful in emergencies
The invention of the cell phone was important because it increased the ability to communicate globally, it has become an everyday part of life, and can possibly help save someone’s life.
The creation of the cell phone was one of the most important inventions from 1950 because it increased the ability to communicate globally. It helped people from all over the world talk to their families which could be in a different part of the world. People on business trips can communicate with loved ones about how their days have been.
In the event of an emergency, having a cell phone can allow help to reach you quickly and could possibly help save lives. However, the importance of cell phones goes way beyond safety. Modern cell phones are capable of internet access, sending and receiving files and photos, and some cell phones are equipped with GPS technology, allowing for use in almost all locations and allowing the cell phone to be found or the user located in the event of loss or emergency.
Lastly, the invention of the cell phone has become an everyday part of life. They are used for social media, such as Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook, to share their personal experiences with the world. Also, the spread of cell phones all over the world, made the internet much more accessible to the poorer countries. The fact that cell phones could be relatively inexpensive also helped the spread of them. It was also much easier to check the news as it could be done with the click of a button.
uSwitch. “History of Mobile Phones | What Was the First Mobile Phone?” USwitch, 6 Apr. 2018, www.uswitch.com/mobiles/guides/history-of-mobile-phones/
This source is reliable because it has a built up reputation in making reviews and guides on subjects like these. There isn’t much bias, at least none that I can see, in the writing because again, it is an informative article. It does however have some promotions and does not have an author’s name clearly written on it.
Goodwin, Richard. “The History of Mobile Phones From 1973 To 2008: The Handsets That Made It ALL Happen.” Know Your Mobile, Know Your Mobile, 6 Mar. 2017, www.knowyourmobile.com/nokia/nokia-3310/19848/history-mobile-phones-1973-2008-handsets-made-it-all-happen
This source could both be reliable and unreliable, depending on where the author got his information from. The author (Richard Goodwin) has a BA in English and History and has a job as an features editor at Know Your Mobile. In this case, I believe that this is a reliable source, and little to no bias.
JFK:
At around 12:30 PM CST, on November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was shot in Dallas, Texas. At the time, John F. Kennedy was traveling in motor cade from Love Field to Dallas Trade Mart. Two hours later, Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn into the thirty sixth president of the United States.
The JFK assassination was important because:
– First assassination of world figure in age of TVs
– Increased presidential security
– 4th president to be assassinated
The assassination of President John F. Kennedy was important because he was the first president to be assassinated in the age of TVs, it increased presidential security, and he was the 4th president to be assassinated.
The JFK assassination is so important because he was the first world figure to have been assassinated in the age of TVs. It was difficult to avoid as every network and station took up the story. This is perhaps the best reason why the matter captured the public imagination. Assassinations of public figures isn’t that uncommon, but this was captured on televisions for the world to see, again and again. The assassination was in sharp contrast with the Abraham Lincoln assassination over 150 years ago. Paintings and images of Lincolns murder appeared in newspapers in its following days.
The JFK assassination increased the presidential security dramatically. Whenever the president would be moved, they would send secret service to guard all the buildings on the way, block off the roads, and have a motorcade. This motor cade would consist of at least 35 vehicles. One of the vehicles is a helicopter, another 8 are motorbikes, and the rest are cars. President John F. Kennedy was also the 4th president to be assassinated in office. This means that out of the 35 presidents before him, there were only 3 other presidents to have been assassinated: Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, and William McKinley.
“November 22, 1963: Death of the President.” John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/November-22-1963-Death-of-the-President.aspx
This source is reliable because the site is dedicated to John F Kennedy. Although there is no clear, the site is still very reliable because they even have an entire Museum. This means that they have primary evidence to the JFK assassination.
“JFK Assassination Timeline.” The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, www.jfk.org/the-assassination/jfk-assassination-timeline/
Just like the first source, this also is a museum, except this one isn’t completely dedicated to JFK. The website has a interactive timeline with additional resources if needed, making it classroom friendly and reliable. One last thing, the website also has an FAQ for any questions that people might want answered.