Astronauts, Riots, and Pandemics: 2020 vs. 1969

Written by Dr. Paul G. Kengor

In July 1969, three American astronauts landed on the moon. It wasn’t just a great technical triumph. It was a much-needed respite amid social and political chaos.

America was already beset by Vietnam and civil rights struggles. That summer of 1969, things got worse. The nation was shocked by news of a riot after a confrontation between gay rights activists and police outside the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village on June 28.… Continue Reading