And that's the way it was...

Last week Walter Cronkite passed away at age 92. Nearly everyone over the age of 30 has some living memory of the august newsman. The New York Times included this obituary, which noted the following:

As anchorman and reporter, Mr. Cronkite described wars, natural disasters, nuclear explosions, social upheavals and space flights, from Alan Shepard’s 15-minute ride to lunar landings. On July 20, 1969, when the Eagle touched down on the moon, Mr. Cronkite exclaimed, “Oh, boy!”

On the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Mr. Cronkite briefly lost his composure in announcing that the president had been pronounced dead at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. Taking off his black-framed glasses and blinking back tears, he registered the emotions of millions.

Also, in another historical note, July 20, 2009 is the 40th anniversary of the U.S. moon landing. Here's the New York Times' segment, "Our Moon," on that historic first. Oh, boy!