They came in camper vans and RVs, Oldsmobiles and Buicks, pitching tents along the Indian River to stake out precious viewing spots.

When there was no more room, they parked along the shoulder and median of U.S. 1 and other local roads. People sat atop their cars, eyes straining east toward Merritt Island and the John F. Kennedy Space Center.

The 363-foot Saturn V rocket lifted off from Launch Pad 39A at 9:32 a.m. EDT on July 16, 1969, its 7.6 million pounds of thrust punching a hole through the Earth’s atmosphere.

Apollo 11’s launch was Florida’s moment in mankind’s greatest adventure. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. became the first men to walk on the moon.

Five decades later, it remains a defining event for those who played a part in the mission or witnessed history unfold.

Read more at the Tampa Bay Times.