Key Events
On October 19, 1899, at the age of 17, Goddard climbed this cherry tree and, in a daydream, envisioned traveling into space. He celebrated “Anniversary Day” every year until the end of his life.
Goddard launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket at his aunt’s farm in nearby Auburn in March 1926. A later rocket explosion caused him to be banned from conducting further launches in Massachusetts.
With funding from the Guggenheims, Goddard moved in 1930 to Roswell, N.M., where he produced larger and more complex rockets, even while remaining chair of Clark’s Physics Department.
In May 1969, astronaut Buzz Aldrin was among the ribbon cutters at the opening of Clark University’s new Robert Hutchings Goddard Library, two months before he walked on the moon.
Apollo 11 was launched on July 16, 1969, carrying Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin.
On July 20, 1969, Armstrong and Aldrin became the first two people to set foot on the moon. In the pocket of his space suit, Aldrin carried a miniature autobiography of Goddard, now housed in Clark’s archives.