1

"One small step" vs. "Man, that may have been a small one…"

Neil Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface with his carefully planned line: "That is one small step for a man , one giant leap for mankind." Pete Conrad from Apollo 12 decided to have some fun with that.

Conrad was short, and he had bet a reporter five hundred dollars that he could say whatever he wanted when he stepped down. This is the line he went for, as documented in NASA transcripts: "Whoopie! Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but that is a long one for me ."

2

Apollo 12 and the lightning strike that tried to end everything

Apollo 12 was struck by lightning not once but twice, only 36 seconds after launch. The electrical surge wiped out telemetry in Mission Control.

The flight looked doomed until flight controller John Aaron said the now legendary instruction: "Try SCE to Aux." Conrad responded with, "What the hell is that?" because almost no one remembered what SCE meant.

Luckily, Alan Bean understood what to do. He flipped the switch, the instruments rebooted, and Apollo 12 kept flying.

3

Apollo 13 was just as dramatic as the movie showed

The explosion of an oxygen tank in Apollo 13’s service module really did turn the mission into a race against time. The line "Houston, we have a problem" is Hollywood’s adaptation, however. The real line, spoken by Jack Swigert and repeated by Jim Lovell, was "Houston, we have had a problem."

Other real drama: the crew used the Lunar Module as a lifeboat, battled rising CO₂ levels, manually aligned the spacecraft using Earth’s horizon, and returned home with only a sliver of battery life left.

4

Apollo 16 astronauts drove a moon rover like teenagers with a new car

The lunar rover was a marvel: lightweight, foldable, and capable of reaching 13 to 18 km/h depending on conditions.

John Young and Charlie Duke from Apollo 16 were so thrilled with it that Mission Control had to repeatedly remind them not to drive too fast on uneven terrain.

Duke even recorded one of the wildest moments of the program when Young yelled, "Look at that… look at that!" as dust flew up behind them.

5

The dust that drove astronauts nuts

Moon dust is sharp, sticky, and electrostatically clingy. Astronauts from Apollo 11 onward complained that it smelled like burnt gunpowder and got everywhere. Harrison Schmitt from Apollo 17 suffered "lunar hay fever" after breathing dust tracked into the cabin.

NASA later became mildly obsessed with studying how dangerous that dust might be… and it turns out it is genuinely abrasive to suits and could be risky to lungs.

6

Apollo 11 and the computer that said "nope"

Just minutes before landing on July 20, 1969, the Apollo Guidance Computer flashed a "1202" program alarm. In non-NASA terms, the computer was overloaded and essentially panicking .

But guidance officer Steve Bales had trained for this exact situation and cleared the crew to proceed. Armstrong later said this call was one of the mission’s most decisive moments. So yes, the first Moon landing almost got canceled by a stressed-out computer.

7

The golf shot that echoed through history

On Apollo 14, Alan Shepard smuggled a makeshift golf club head along with two golf balls.

On the moon, he attached it to a sample collection tool and made the most famous swing in the Solar System. The ball truly did travel far, although probably not the "miles and miles" Shepard joked about. Still, it remains the only round of lunar golf ever played.

8

Apollo 15’s postal controversy

The Apollo 15 astronauts carried unauthorized stamped envelopes to sell to collectors later.

This became a scandal when the deal came to light. NASA was furious, the crew was reprimanded, and the agency tightened rules on what astronauts could take to space.

The event is fully documented and remains one of the strangest side stories of the program.

9

Twelve people walked on the moon

Between 1969 and 1972, exactly twelve astronauts walked on the lunar surface.

The list, in chronological order, is: Armstrong, Aldrin (Apollo 11), Conrad, Bean (Apollo 12), Shepard, Mitchell (Apollo 14), Scott, Irwin (Apollo 15), Young, Duke (Apollo 16), and Cernan and Schmitt (Apollo 17). Cernan remains the last human to have walked on the Moon.

10

The last moonwalk included a love letter

During Apollo 17, Gene Cernan traced his daughter’s initials TDC on the lunar dust.

As he said his farewell words on the Moon, he hoped the world would continue exploring. His last line: "We leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind."

1

A bar hidden in plain sight

Most visitors know the famous Oyster Bar, but few stumble upon The Campbell, an elegant lounge tucked inside Grand Central. Originally the office of 1920s finance tycoon John W. Campbell , this spot sat forgotten for decades until 1999, before being restored to its former Jazz Age glory. Step inside today, and you’ll find velvet couches, grand rugs, and cocktails that make you feel like you’ve time-traveled back to the roaring 1920s.

2

Two clocks worth a fortune?

Grand Central has one of the most valuable clocks in the world , although there’s a myth that says there are two. The Tiffany clock outside towers 14 feet across, framed by Roman gods carved in stone. This clock is worth around $20 million. Inside the terminal, the four-faced opal clock crowns the information booth. Contrary to popular belief, this clock was not made of an actual opal, but out of opal glass, so there’s nothing priceless about it.

3

Hidden oaks and acorns

Take a closer look around, and you’ll start spotting oak leaves and acorns carved into chandeliers, railings, and stonework. These aren’t random designs. They’re a nod to the Vanderbilt family’s symbol: The acorn. The family funded the terminal’s construction in 1871 and wanted everyone to know it. Now, their family symbol quietly decorates every corner of their legacy.

4

The mysterious whispering gallery

If you whisper into one corner of the tiled archway near the Oyster Bar, someone standing diagonally across can hear you perfectly. The "Whispering Gallery" is one of Grand Central’s quirkiest secrets . The Guastavino tiles that make up the arched ceiling carry sound in an odd way, creating an intimate little magic trick, though no one really knows whether it was designed that way or just a happy accident.

5

A sky painted backward

Look up, and you’ll see the breathtaking celestial mural that covers the concourse ceiling. But here’s the kicker: the constellations are painted backwards . Whether it was a mistake or an artistic choice remains debated, but the Vanderbilts claimed it was intentional—to give us the "divine perspective" of looking down at the heavens. Either way, it’s still one of the most photographed ceilings in the world.

6

Game, set, match (inside a train station)

If you think tennis in a train terminal sounds impossible, think again. The Vanderbilt Tennis Club, perched on Grand Central’s fourth floor, is open to the public . You can book a court, take a lesson, or just peek inside to see this unexpected slice of luxury tucked away above the bustling commuters below.

7

Secret walkways above the windows

Those grand arched windows in the main concourse aren’t just decorative; they hide narrow walkways used by staff to move unseen between offices . These catwalks give a bird’s-eye view of the terminal, though they’re strictly off-limits to the public. Only a select few with key passes get to experience the view from up there.

8

A hidden entrance to the Waldorf

Deep beneath Grand Central lies Track 61, a secret passage that once connected directly to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. It was used by VIPs who preferred to travel without public attention —most famously, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who used it to conceal his polio and wheelchair from the public eye. Today, it’s sealed off, but the legend remains.

9

Almost lost to the wrecking ball

In the 1960s, plans were made to tear down Grand Central and replace it with skyscrapers. After the destruction of Penn Station in 1963, New Yorkers were not having it. Thanks to the efforts of preservationists , Grand Central was saved and officially declared a landmark in 1967. Their fight ensured we could still enjoy one of the city’s true architectural gems.

10

A 21st-century makeover

While much of Grand Central dates back to 1913, its evolution continues. The massive East Side Access Project, completed in 2023, added a new terminal for Long Island Rail Road passengers, complete with 40 miles of new track buried beneath Park Avenue. It’s a modern expansion of a century-old masterpiece.

1

Fridge odor neutralizer

Image: Ello

Baking soda can help a fridge get rid of bad odor particles. To achieve this, you must fill a cup with baking soda and place it in the back of your fridge . The baking soda will absorb any smell in a few hours.

2

Air freshener

Image: A. L.

Unlike most commercial air fresheners, which only release fragrance molecules that mask other smells instead of actually eliminating bad odors, baking soda does neutralize smells .

To achieve this, simply put ⅓ cup of baking soda and a few drops of your favorite essential oil in a small jar. Cover it with a piece of cloth and secure it with a string. Place the jar wherever you need to eliminate the bad odors.

3

Laundry whitening agent

Image: PlanetCare

Baking soda can help remove stains from clothes in the washing machine. That is because it is a soluble salt, which removes dirt and stains .

To try it out, add half a cup of baking soda to your regular amount of laundry detergent. It also helps soften the water, so you may need less detergent than usual.

4

Kitchen cleaner

Image: Le Creuset

When mixed with an acid like lemon juice or vinegar, baking soda can also help control the growth of harmful microorganisms .

To use baking soda in your kitchen, make a paste by mixing baking soda with an equal amount of lemon juice and a bit of water. Apply the paste to the desired surface with a sponge and scrub thoroughly.

5

Garbage odor eliminator

Image: YoNeKeN

As we have seen, baking soda can serve to eliminate smells, and garbage cans are no exception . This can be accomplished by simply throwing some baking soda every few days into the garbage can to neutralize the odors and prevent microbacteria from growing.

6

Multipurpose bathroom cleaner

Image: Steven Ungermann

Just like it can be used to clean kitchens, baking soda can also serve as a natural cleaner for bathrooms. This product comes in handy because it whitens and disinfects many bathroom surfaces .

Make a paste using baking soda and a bit of water, and rub it over the surface you wish to clean.

7

Pesticide remover for fruit and veggies

Image: Jacopo Maiarelli

Pesticides are used to protect crops from insects, germs, rodents, and weeds, but many have harmful effects on human health. A baking soda wash is a good way to remove pesticides from fruits and veggies by soaking them in baking soda and water for 15 minutes.

8

Scorched pot cleaner

Image: Markus Winkler

A scorched bottom in your pot or pan can be a nightmare to clean, but adding baking soda and water and bringing it to a boil will soften up the burnt particles . After the water is boiling, empty the pot and clean it with a bit of washing liquid to remove whatever is left.

9

Oil and grease fire extinguisher

Image: Piotr Chrobot

Believe it or not, baking soda can be used to extinguish some small house fires. Dry chemical fire extinguishers, used to extinguish oil, grease, and electrical fires, contain baking soda. Baking soda reacts with the heat to produce carbon dioxide, which smothers the fire .

10

Neutralizing cat odors

Image: Manja Vitolic

To avoid unpleasant smells on the kitty litter and add a little time between box changes, try sprinkling baking soda inside it . This will eliminate bad odors in your house.

11

Soak up oil

Image: Alexandra Lowenthal

Sprinkling baking soda on top of spilled oil will soak up the liquid. Once the baking soda is in the targeted area, use a stiff-bristled brush to work it into the stain in a circular motion. Then rinse away with hot water.