Humans walked on another world fifty years today, landing on the Moon’s surface on July 20, 1969. The earth gathered around TV sets and radios, collectively holding its breath. It was a feat that, at least for a moment, united us as one planet and one people.

If you get a chance, the National Gallery of Art will be featuring a slew of moon-related films, including the Bowie Man Who Fell to Earth. They also are opening today an exhibition called, By the Light of the Silvery Moon: A Century of Lunar Photographs that will be on exhibit through Jan 5, 2020.

The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum is outdoing itself with a special anniversary celebration today, too. The museum will be open until 2:00 am! in its The Eagle Has Landed Late Night Celebration, there will be a countdown to the exact time when Neil Armstrong first set foot on the Moon. Get more information here: Late Night.

In honor of this anniversary, I’m including here the short silent film, A Trip to the Moon by George Melies. The fantastical voyage they came up with in 1902 is a fun look at how people imagined life on the moon would be. The film was badly damaged and it’s wonderful to see the restored version.

Enjoy!