On CHRISTMAS EVE, DECEMBER 24, 1968, Apollo 8, the first manned mission to the Moon, entered lunar orbit.
Astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William Anders sent a live television broadcast from 250,000 miles away, reading from the Book of Genesis and giving a Christmas Greeting:
“We are now approaching Lunar sunrise.
And for all the people back on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message that we would like to send to you.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
... And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good ...
And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters ...
And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
... And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.”
Frank Borman ended by saying:
“And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you—all of you on the good Earth.”
I remember my Dad saying the three astronauts were like a modern version of the Three Wise Men traveling to see the baby Jesus.