Today, on National Moon Day (July 20th), we commemorate the moon landing on July 20th, 1969 as the moment that ushered in a new era of space discovery and innovation. Although the moon landing shattered every child’s dream that the Moon was actually made of cheese, the event was — nevertheless — one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. We continue to look to the Moon to fuel our imagination and encourage our sense of adventure. It may not be made of cheese...but it’s still pretty cool in our book.
Check out 5 fun moon-inspired moments in history and pop culture:
1) NASA
There’s no talking about the Moon without giving a shout out to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) first!
With over fifty years devoted to the civilian space program and aerospace/aeronautics research, NASA made the moon landing a reality. There may not be a man in the Moon, but — thanks to NASA — there was a man on the Moon!
To this day, fresh footprints are visible as a reminder of the first human to walk on the Moon’s surface. In fact, with no wind or rain, the footprints will last as long as the Moon itself. Oh snap. Now that is a lasting legacy.
2) Despicable Me
Gru — like Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin — dreamt of visiting the Moon. Well er... he’s actually more interested in stealing the Moon than visiting it, but we’ll still say that makes him sort of like an astronaut.
Gru wants nothing more than to be the world’s best super-villain and he needs to steal the Moon to do it! Oh no, what will we do without the Moon? What will wolves howl at now?!
Thankfully, Gru meets Edith, Agnes, and Margo and learns that it’s better to love someone to the moon and back, than it is to shrink the Moon to gain recognition as a super-villain.
In the end, Gru’s heart grows as big as the Moon and he leaves his super-villain lifestyle behind to be the world’s best dad instead.
3) Star Wars
That’s no moon! Star War’s most famous “moon”, the Death Star, may not have actually been a moon but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t other moons from the trilogy to moon over instead!
In Rogue One we visit Jedha, a cold desert moon, that is the main source of the kyber crystals that power lightsabers and the Death Star. We can’t decide if that makes it a good moon or a bad moon? We’re pro lightsabers, but the Death Star is kind of a jerk.
In the Return of the Jedi, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo visit the coolest moon in the galaxy: the Forest Moon of Endor! Any moon with Ewoks is the coolest moon to us. In fact, if the Earth’s moon had Ewoks, then we think children around the world would forget all about that cheese thing...
4) Toy Story
Buzz Aldrin may have landed on the Moon, but Buzz Lightyear travels to infinity and beyond!
Pixar’s Toy Story introduces us to our very own space traveler, the lovable Buzz Lightyear, who was inspired by NASA astronaut and second man on the Moon, Buzz Aldrin.
Woody would be the first to remind Buzz that he’s never actually been to the Moon but that doesn’t stop Buzz’s enthusiasm! Buzz is the perfect Space Ranger and loves adventure, exploration, and traveling to infinity and beyond.
5) Moon Knight
Marvel’s Marc Spector is saved by the Egyptian moon god, Khonshu, and is brought back to life as the superhero, Moon Knight. His powers — which include enhanced strength, reflexes, and endurance — are dependent on the phases of the Moon.
In fact, he’s known to be his strongest at the full moon. People always say that a full moon makes you crazy but thankfully, for the Moon Knight, the full moon just makes him a superhero instead. That seems like a better deal to us.
Moon Knight also drives the hilariously named Mooncopter vehicle. It’s like the Batmobile but funnier!
There’s no doubt about it, we’re over the moon for the Moon. Whether you think the full moon encourages witches and werewolves, or you just think the Moon is a fascinating place (did we mention there are still perfectly preserved footprints on it?), we can all agree that it definitely deserves its own day and a starring role in movies like Despicable Me and Star Wars. Celebrate the Earth’s less flashy sidekick with a fun Fifth Sun Moon shirt today!
