WASHINGTON (AP) — The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum is celebrating the satellite that powered the first TV transmission around the globe 50 years ago.

In July 1962, the Telstar satellite carried live pictures to audiences in the U.S., Canada and Europe for the first time. The
broadcast began with pictures of the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower.

Newsman Walter Cronkite called it the “rarest of all television moments.”

Organizers planned to show remarks by President John F. Kennedy, but the talk was delayed. Instead, they showed a baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs.

On Thursday, the Smithsonian is hosting a symposium on Telstar’s historical significance and impact on space endeavors.

The symposium includes a TV connection to a French museum and footage of the original broadcast.

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