Should July 20 Be a US National Holiday?
Written by Nancy Atkinson
Apollo 11 landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969.
I came across a new website, and it has an interesting purpose: the website proposes to create a Space Exploration Day national holiday in the US, and fittingly, suggests July 20 as the date. July 20, of course, is the date that the Apollo 11 mission landed on the Moon, and this year we celebrate the 40th anniversary of that historic mission.
The official website for the Space Exploration Day invites US citizens to sign a petition to create this new holiday, which they suggest could be on the order of Flag Day. Additionally, the website advocates July 16 – 24 be designated as a period of U.S. Space Observance, in commemoration of the nine day Apollo 11 Mission.
From the website:
"Whereas on July 20, 1969, the people of the world were brought closer together by the first manned exploration of the Moon; …"
"Whereas in this same spirit of greatness that made possible, the placing of astronauts on the Moon can be applied to all noble pursuits, including peace, brotherhood, advancement of the human spirit, and the exploration of new frontiers for the benefit of all mankind… "
I think it is a great idea.
Read the rest on the Space Exploration Day official website, and if you think it's a good idea, too, sign the petition.
Filed under: Space Flight
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May 27th, 2009 at 3:09 am
Well… for starters I've come to the shocking realization that we DON'T have a holiday for space exploration.
Its about time we did.
May 27th, 2009 at 10:40 am
Hasn't UN declared it an international holiday?
Well, maybe they should.
May 27th, 2009 at 11:55 am
i am for it . . . but not a paid federal/state holiday!
May 27th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Great idea, I love it, I signed it. I think it would be a great idea to also add a holiday observing Alan Shepperd's first American in space flight. I even put in the petition site's comment section (this is a copy and paste of it, in fact):
Now it would be a great and appropriate idea to also have a similar holiday for the aniversaries of Alan Shepard's first-American-in-space flight. His flight was the beginng of our all-important "catch-up to the Soviets to help to restore America's national pride" side of our space program.
Nancy and Ian, wot you think? could you try to get something like that in the works?
May 27th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
No. It would be just another holiday that only bankers, postal workers, and gov't emploees receive while the rest of us work. Another words, just like Veteren's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Good Friday, President's Day, Columbus Day, ect….