One event has been overlooked for 44 years but deserves to stand shoulder to shoulder with Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa. Unlike most of our traditions with roots in other countries and cultures, this one was launched in America, literally.
On December 24, 1968, Apollo 8 astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell and William Anders were in lunar orbit 240,000 miles away from family and friends. Their six-day mission was a data gathering, human endurance test to prepare for the upcoming moon landing by Apollo 11. Apollo 8 renewed a weary nation in 1968. We accomplished a miraculous feat and couldn’t let science take all the credit. We came together as a nation and embraced the world in our success.