Apollo 8 Enters Orbit: First Humans Circle the Moon
Apollo 8's crew snapped humanity out of Earth-bound thinking by circling the Moon ten times on Christmas Eve, beaming live images back to a stunned global audience. That broadcast transformed the holiday season into a shared moment of awe, proving humans could leave their home planet and survive the journey.
December 24, 1968
58 years ago
Key Figures & Places
Moon
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Apollo program
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Apollo 8
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Apollo 8 Genesis reading
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Apollo program
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Apollo 8
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Moon
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Lunar orbit
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Earthrise
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Apollo 8 Genesis reading
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Frank Borman
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Jim Lovell
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William Anders
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Christmas
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What Else Happened on December 24
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