20 Ways American Life Has Changed in the Past 50 Years

The U.S. was in a “space race” with the Soviet Union

Jim Lovell, Bill Anders, and Frank Borman became the first humans to orbit the moon on Christmas Eve 1968. Apollo 8 made 10 circles around the moon after breaking free of the Earth’s atmosphere at a record 24,200 miles per hour. Today’s space race isn’t between countries—it’s between companies.