ORNL FCU 75 Years

Nineteen sixty-nine left its mark on history as one of the most culturally defining years to date. More than 250,000 anti-Vietnam War demonstrators peacefully marched on Washington, DC, to protest the war, which ended later that year. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the moon, an extraordinary technological achievement in which Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 participated by designing and manufacturing the Apollo Lunar Sample Return Container or moon box. The Beatles performed in public for the last time. Boeing’s 747 jumbo jet, the PBS network, and the Pontiac Trans Am were all introduced. Woodstock, the most famous music festival of modern time, attracted a crowd of more than 350,000. Members of a cult led by Charles Manson murdered five people. The year also witnessed the first-ever ATM installation and the invention of microprocessors at Bell Labs. The average income was $8,500 and a gallon of milk cost $1.10. Above: Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 participated in 1969’s lunar landing (shown here with astronaut Buzz Aldrin) by designing a vacuum-sealed box to protect rock and soil samples on the return flight to Earth. (NASA)

1969-1978 GIANT STEPS | 27