Montclair Honors Buzz Aldrin On 50th Anniversary Of Moon Landing

MONTCLAIR, NJ — When Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong stepped onto the surface on the moon in 1969, it made history. Now – half a century later – their intrepid space voyage aboard Apollo 11 will be commemorated with a ceremony in Aldrin’s hometown of Montclair.

On Saturday, July 20, Montclair will host an Apollo 11 commemoration event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. The family-friendly event will take place from 10 a.m. to noon at Montclair Public Library, 50 South Fullerton Avenue.

According to a town news release, planned activities include:

• Giveaways of the Buzz Aldrin book “Reaching for the Moon” (quantities are limited and will be distributed on a first-come-first-served basis, so get there early to grab a copy)
• A special drawing for “To the Moon and Back: My Apollo 11 Adventure,” the 2018 book by Aldrin and Marianne Dyson, illustrated by Bruce Foster
• Yin Chang, co-founder of L3 Academy – a Montclair learning center that offers STEM programs for kids – will have team members from the academy’s award-winning robotics club provide demonstrations
• Rags Buchner who heads up Boy Scout Troop 40 in Rahway, will have his Apollo 11 spacecraft replica on display in front of the library
• Mayor Robert Jackson will read a proclamation in recognition of astronaut Buzz Aldrin and the 50th anniversary of the moon landing
• Speakers will include Jonathan Alter, a journalist and filmmaker/television producer who was a major advocate for naming a Montclair public entity after Buzz Aldrin, and Katie Rubacky Severance, who founded and headed the Montclair Man on the Moon committee (which led the efforts to rename Mount Hebron Middle School for Buzz Aldrin)

Aldrin, who attended the local public school system his entire life, graduated from Montclair High School in 1947. He’s described his time at Mt. Hebron Middle School – which was renamed in his honor in 2016 – as a “turning point” in his educational career.

He received Montclair’s first-ever key to the city in 2013.

Aldrin posted a video message on Twitter about the historic Apollo 11 mission on Tuesday, writing:

"50 years ago today, Neil Armstrong, Mike Collins and I launched into space on a mission of enormous importance. God bless the 400,000 Americans who helped us get to the moon and back. Together, we Americans can do anything! Never forget July 16, 1969!"

Catch up on some of our latest stories involving the Essex County spaceman below.

• Read more: Montclair's Mount Hebron School Renamed For Astronaut Buzz Aldrin
• Read more: Montclair's Buzz Aldrin Is 1st Man To Pee On Moon, Take Selfie In Space
• Read more: Buzz Aldrin's Advice On 'Failure' Brings Smiles To Twitter
• Read more: Buzz Aldrin Leaves New Zealand After Medical Scare
• Read more: Buzz Aldrin Recalls Classic 'Simpsons' Moment, 25 Years Later

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