For my confirmation, I didn’t get a watch and my first pair of long pants, like most Lutheran boys. I got a telescope. My mother thought it would make the best gift.

Meaning of the quote

Wernher von Braun, a famous German scientist, didn't receive the typical gifts that many young Lutheran boys got for their confirmation, like a watch and their first pair of long pants. Instead, his mother gave him a telescope, which she believed would be the best gift for him. This suggests that his mother recognized his interest and talent in science from a young age, and she encouraged his curiosity by giving him a tool to explore the wonders of the universe.

About Wernher von Braun

Wernher von Braun was a German-American aerospace engineer and space architect. He was a key figure in the development of rocket technology in Nazi Germany and later a pioneer of space exploration in the United States. Von Braun worked on the V-2 rocket and later helped launch the first American satellite, Explorer 1, as part of the U.S. space program.

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