July 20, 1969, as every science fiction fan knows, was when Man first set foot on the Moon. That makes July 20 this year the 50th anniversary of that historic moment in human history.
Nabisco must have some space exploration fans in the bakery, because they’ve announced special Oreo cookies (biscuits to our British listeners) to commemorate the first lunar landing. The limited edition Marshmallow Moon Oreo cookies will reach store shelves approximately mid-June. They will have three different moon landing designs on the chocolate cookies and will be filled with purple marshmallow creme – because of course, it’s moon creme. That’s our story and we’re sticking to it.
The packages will have phosphorescent ink so that they glow in the dark, and bear the inscription, “Moon Landing 50th Anniversary.” Nabisco bragged “the cookies will come in glow in the dark packaging with anniversary sticker sets on pack.” Thankfully, the cookies will not also glow in the dark. Because that would be weird.
Witness to History
Oreo cookies are 107 years old. They debuted in 1912, the same year Roald Amundsen discovered the South Pole and that the Titanic sank. The Republic of China was proclaimed in that year. New Mexico and Arizona became the 47th and 48th states in the United States of America, and Alaska officially became a territory.
Originally created as a knock-off alternative to Hydrox cookies, the National Biscuit Company created the Oreo cookie in 1912. They’re available in over 120 countries today, and have become one of the most popular cookies in the world. Since their inception, they’ve been our constant companion, through two World Wars, 19 Presidents, the founding of the country of Israel, the fall of both the Berlin Wall and the U.S.S.R, Star Trek, Star Wars, every comic book ever made, the first human inhabited space station, the landing of the rovers Opportunity and Curiosity on the planet Mars.
This summer, pop a copy of First Man into the DVD player, pour a big glass of milk, and share some marshmallow moon Oreos with your kids. It’s a tasty opportunity to reminisce with them about watching those first epic images on television of Neal Armstrong taking that first step out onto the lunar surface.
Suddenly, we’re all kids again.
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Susan Macdonald is the author of the children’s book “R is for Renaissance Faire”, as well as 26 short stories, mostly fantasy in “Alternative Truths”, “Swords and Sorceress #30”, Swords &Sorceries Vols. 1, 2, & 5, “Cat Tails” “Under Western Stars”, and “Knee-High Drummond and the Durango Kid”. Her articles have appeared on SCIFI.radio’s web site, in The Inquisitr, and in The Millington Star. She enjoys Renaissance Faires (see book above), science fiction conventions, Highland Games, and Native American pow-wows.
