More In This Article 1968 was not a good year on Planet Earth.
Though such events can be seen as business as usual in the
history of humanity, that year saw more than its share of
antiwar and race riots; wars—both cold and hot; and
assassinations that ripped the social and political fabric of
the U.S. and the world. In December 1968, Apollo 8 lifted off
with the audacious goal of carrying astronauts for the first
time in history to another world—the moon. Although they didn't
touch down, crewmates Frank Borman, James Lovell, Jr., and
William Anders orbited 10 times about 70 miles (110 kilometers)
above the primordial lunar surface. For the first time, humans
were laying eyes not just on the familiar side that bears the
features we see as the "man in the moon," but on our satellite's
mysterious far side—only "viewed" heretofore by the cameras of
unmanned Soviet and U.S. probes. But what really moved the crew,
as well as millions of viewers back on Earth, was the awe-
inspiring sight of a most familiar place see