The man in the moon came down too soon
To inquire the way to Norridge;
The man in the south, he burnt his mouth
With eating cold plum porridge.
The nursery rhyme The Man in the Moon originated from England. Unfortunately, the author is unknown. The verse was first published in 1833, in The Only True Mother Goose Melodies.
From ancient times people have noticed that the so-called seas on the moon's surface make up something. Usually, it's the face of a man. Talmud says it's the face of Jacob. The European Christian tradition claims it's the man from Numbers XV (32–36) who was caught gathering sticks on Sabbath. According to an old Roman legend, the man is a sheep thief.
In the middle ages, the moon was considered the protector od drunkards. In London alone, three saloons were called 'The Man in the Moon.'
While there is no place with this name in England (Norwich is the closest match), in Chicago, IL, an enclave village bears this name.
It was Neil Armstrong who first shattered the boundaries of human exploration, taking that momentous step onto the enigmatic lunar terrain on the fateful day of July 20th, 1969. This exclusive lunar fraternity has since expanded to encompass a total of 12 extraordinary men, each leaving their indelible footprints on the moon's surface.
Sheet music [1]