History for Chron

July 24, 2023 Updated Mon., July 24, 2023 at 3:31 p.m.

By Allyssa Dotson allyssad@spokesman.com (509) 459-5583

The first three men to land on the moon returned to Earth with former President Richard Nixon praising them. Neil A. Armstrong, Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. and Michael Collins landed in the ocean only 9 miles from the USS Hornet. The astronauts were immediately quarantined behind a biological barrier for the remote chance of bringing different lunar germs.

The men were sprayed with disinfectant and scrubbed with a solution similar to bleach while on a raft to the USS Hornet. Their spaceship was hauled onto the boat and brought back to the same building the men were quarantined in. Nixon had to speak to the men through a window, inviting them and their wives to the White House for dinner after quarantine had ended.

Ann M. Rhodes and a friend were picking huckleberries near Priest Lake with their children in the car when one of the kids released the parking brake. Rhodes ran to veer the car towards an embankment instead of a cliff and died from the door impaling her chest.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.