The day the astronauts came to town. Houston would never be the same

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- It was a day that changed Houston forever. Houston was named by NASA as the location for the Manned Space Center, and to mark the occasion city officials held a parade on the 4th of July, 1962.

Crowds lined Main Street, as the seven Project Mercury astronauts appeared together for the first time in Houston.

The parade was followed by a "Texas-style" barbecue for MSC employees at the Sam Houston Coliseum, where all the astronauts were given cowboy hats.