Stop me if you’ve heard this one. In the months after a very contentious election, our nation seems more divided than at any time since the decade before the Civil War.
The new Republican president is under constant attack for his beliefs. Cultural wars are tearing communities apart, with fights over gender roles and race dominating the national conversation. We are engaged in a war that was growing more unpopular by the day. A major political figure has been assassinated just months before, fueling blame and anger.
And in the midst of all this, American astronauts are flying farther into space than ever before, orbiting the Moon.
While it sounds like I’m talking about today, this all took place in 1968, one of the most important and controversial years in American history. There is one major difference between 1968 and today: their spaceflight brought the nation together in a way that feels almost impossible now.
1968 was a turbulent year. It began as badly as any could, with the Viet Cong launching a massive offensive that shocked the United States and turned public opinion against the Vietnam War. In what became known as the Tet Offensive, North Vietnamese forces struck dozens of cities, including the capital of Saigon. The president insisted we were winning and had the enemy where we wanted them, but few believed him. Even Walter Cronkite called the war “mired in stalemate” and questioned whether victory was possible.
In February, riots broke out at South Carolina State University as Black students protested segregation at the town’s only bowling alley. Three protesters were killed and 27 more wounded. Nine officers were tried and acquitted in connection with the use of force. The following month, around 15,000 Latino high school students in Los Angeles walked out of class to demand better educational opportunities.
Also in March, Minnesota Sen. Eugene McCarthy, an outspoken critic of the war, shocked the political world by defeating incumbent President Lyndon Johnson in the New Hampshire primary. Sensing weakness, Robert F. Kennedy entered the race after previously saying he would not challenge Johnson. Realizing he had little chance of reelection, Johnson withdrew from the race.
On April 4, while in Memphis supporting a sanitation workers’ strike, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. Over the next week, riots erupted in more than 100 cities, leaving 39 people dead, more than 2,600 injured, and 21,000 arrested.
Later that month, students at Columbia University took over five campus buildings and briefly held a dean hostage. After authorities regained control, more than 700 people were arrested, and more than 100 were injured, including students, faculty, and police officers.
In June, Robert F. Kennedy, fresh off a victory in the California primary, was assassinated. His killer, Sirhan Sirhan, cited Kennedy’s support for Israel over Palestinians as motivation.
In August, chaos erupted at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where police and National Guardsmen clashed with antiwar demonstrators, using tear gas and force. Inside the convention, the party fractured as Vice President Hubert Humphrey, who supported continuing the war, secured the nomination.
In September, women gathered in Atlantic City to burn their bras and protested the Miss America Pageant which they saw the pageant as demeaning to women.
In October, at the Summer Olympics in Mexico City, American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised gloved fists during the national anthem after winning the gold and bronze medals in the 200-meter race, protesting racial injustice.
On Nov. 5, Richard Nixon narrowly defeated Humphrey, winning the presidency by just 0.7% of the popular vote.
Then, on Dec. 21, Apollo 8 launched, becoming the first manned spacecraft to orbit the Moon and return safely to Earth. On Christmas Eve, one billion people — about a quarter of the world’s population — tuned in as astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders read from the Book of Genesis, ending with: “Good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you — all of you on the good Earth.”
Americans of all backgrounds, race, religion, politics, held their collective breath as the capsule disappeared behind the Moon, losing contact. Forty-seven minutes later, when communication was restored, the nation exhaled together. For all the bickering, violence, and pain, we stood united — if only for a moment — at the end of that difficult year.
I was excited to hear that more than 10 million people watched the Artemis II launch. It has been 54 years since we last went to the Moon, and this time the crew will go even farther on a longer mission. I had hoped it might echo 1968 and bring us together, even briefly, around this shared achievement.
So far, it hasn’t had quite the same effect. The launch was exciting, but there hasn’t been that defining unifying moment — aside from maybe a few space plumber memes. It seems that even a good meme can’t bridge our divides. Maybe we’re simply less awed than we once were, or perhaps we’ve grown used to seeing images like the iconic Earthrise photo from 1968. Or maybe, in a world of 30-second TikTok videos, a 10-day mission is just too long to hold our attention.
Whatever the reason, I’m still excited. I’m old enough to remember the thrill of space shuttle launches. I was 12 when I stayed home from school “sick” only to be devastated watching the Challenger explode. Maybe that’s part of the difference. Maybe you have to remember that these missions are still dangerous. This flight will reenter Earth’s atmosphere faster than any before. That’s not just impressive — it’s frightening. And it makes the astronauts incredibly brave.
Even with everything going on around us, I hope this mission can still bring us a little joy, a little nostalgia, and maybe — just for a moment — help us set aside our differences and marvel together at what we’re witnessing one more time.
James Finck is a professor of American history at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. He can be reached at james.finck@swoknews.com.
