Debbie Houschild from Oceanport, New Jersey, and Jane Bean from Sittingbourne, Kent, England, met in person for the first time last month after five decades of correspondence. The women became pen pals at age 11 through the 1970s children's television show Big Blue Marble, which encouraged viewers to connect across cultures. Despite nearly 3,500 miles separating them, they maintained their friendship through letters, phone calls, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp. "We would tell each other about what was going on in our lives at the time," Houschild said. "Over all the years, that changed from teenage types of things to getting married, jobs, having children and how our lives went from there." Last year, Bean noted their "golden anniversary" milestone, prompting Houschild to plan the trip with her two daughters to London where they toured landmarks and shared lunch.