1969 Humble Oil : Great Moments in American History
Great Moments in American History collector cards were distributed in
1969 by the Humble Oil & Refining Company of Houston, Texas. Each perforated panel includes one card and two promotional prize stamps. The 24-card
series and collector album was available for free from participating Humble
Oil locations. The collector album was published by Marden-Kane, Inc. The subjects were also distributed as 15 x 19 inch poster prints and 300-piece jigsaw puzzles.
The perforated cards showcase significant moments
throughout American history from the first voyage of Christopher Columbus to
the lunar orbit of Apollo 8.
.png "1969 Great Moments in American History - 23 - An American orbits the Earth (1962)")
"An American orbits the Earth" depicts the recovery of the Mercury-Atlas 6
spacecraft Friendship 7. John Glenn completed
three Earth orbits aboard Friendship 7 before splashing down in the North Atlantic. Glenn and the Mercury spacecraft were promptly recovered by the
destroyer USS Noa on February 20, 1962.
Friendship 7 is held by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. The spacecraft is displayed in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles International Airport in Virginia.
Friendship 7 is held by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. The spacecraft is displayed in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles International Airport in Virginia.
.png "1969 Great Moments in American History - 24 - Man reaches toward outer space (1968)")
"Man reaches toward outer space" depicts the lunar orbit of the Apollo 8
Command and Service Module on December 24, 1968. Commander Frank Borman,
Command Module Pilot James Lovell, and Lunar Module Pilot William Anders
orbited the Moon ten times over the course of twenty hours.
The Apollo 8 Command Module is held by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. The spacecraft is displayed in the Henry Crown Space Center at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois.
The Apollo 8 Command Module is held by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. The spacecraft is displayed in the Henry Crown Space Center at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois.
| Great Moments in American History | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Columbus refuses a plea to turn back (1492) |
| 2 | Coronado's men discover the Grand Canyon (1540) |
| 3 | First permanent English settlement (1607) |
| 4 | Pilgrims land on Cape Cod (1620) |
| 5 | Paul Revere's moonlit ride to Lexington (1775) |
| 6 | Welcoming the Declaration of Independence (1776) |
| 7 | New York greets President-Elect Washington (1789) |
| 8 | The Philadelphia-Lancaster Turnpike opens (1794) |
| 9 | The Louisiana Territory passes from France to the U.S. (1803) |
| 10 | Lewis and Clark return to St. Louis (1806) |
| 11 | Commodore Perry victor in Battle of Lake Erie (1813) |
| 12 |
Francis Scott Key writes "The Star-Spangled Banner" (1814) |
| 13 | American locomotive opens steam railroading era (1831) |
| 14 | Alamo defenders fight for Texas independence (1836) |
| 15 | California-bound wagons reach Fort Laramie, Wyoming (1841) |
| 16 | Gold seekers rush to California (1849) |
| 17 | First overland mail stage reaches San Francisco (1858) |
| 18 | Transcontinental telegraph line completed (1861) |
| 19 | Alaska becomes territory of the United States (1867) |
| 20 | Cherokee outlet in Oklahoma opened to settlement (1893) |
| 21 | First flight by Orville Wright, Kitty Hawk, North Carolina (1903) |
| 22 | Carver moves agriculture a giant step forward (1864–1943) |
| 23 | An American orbits the Earth (1962) |
| 24 | Man reaches toward outer space (1968) |