Historic events that you have actual memories of

[All Tell]

The thread on the JFK assassination got me wondering about actual memories of historic events that we all have. I was born in 1960. The earliest that I can say for sure are memories that I have of the actual events are the assassinations of RFK and MLK. (I remember thinking MLK was killed in Indiana because I remembered seeing the Memphis Road sign on I-65). I also very clearly remember watching the launch of Apollo 11 and the first moon walk.

[Jumper_Dad]

Both Shuttle Crashes, I was at EKU when the first one went down.

 

Of Local Note, I like everyone in our community remembers where we were when we heard that our Sheriff had been assassinated at Fire Dept Fund Raiser by a guy with deer rifle that escaped on a motorcycle.

 

I remember as a little kid my baby sitter watching the Watergate hearings on TV every day.

[plantmanky]

9/11 for obvious reasons. One thing will stick out was that I was taking a class in College and on campus that day. There were 2 guys who I knew just via being in class with them a few times, that were in the Marine's as reservist at the time. As things with 911 unfolded we were in class watching the tv when the second plane hit. These two guys both got up, grabbed their stuff and walked out of the room. Never saw either of them again on campus or in that class. I assume they went overseas and such. Just something about that moment sticks out.

[Hellbird]

The earliest historical event I can remember is the moon landing. Still remember my momand dad gathering all 6 of us kids around the zenith black and white tv we had to watch Neil Armstrong leave the lunar lander and step on the moon.

[Getslow]

1995: I remember my mom picking me up from school and had the news on the radio (which she NEVER had on the radio) and telling me about the bombing in Oklahoma City. My mom worked in the Federal Courthouse in downtown Louisville for 30 years; it hit a little close to home for the family.

 

2001: I remember a lot about Sept. 11; still probably the clearest memories I have from high school.

 

2003: Sitting in my dorm room when the news broke in about the Columbia disaster.

[BigVMan23]

I remember the moon launch, Apollo 11. I was only 3 years old, but we were up early leaving to go to NC to visit relatives when we lived in VA, mom and dad had the tv on and I remember watching, knowing it was something big but not really understanding.

[nkypete]

All that has been mentioned so far for me too. I don't remember the MLK assassination when it happened, but I do remember the riots that happened as a result.

[MJAlltheWay24]

I guess the first one for me that I vividly remember is the White Bronco driving down the highway and a lot of the details that followed with the original OJ Simpson case.

 

Next big one for me would have been Columbine. I remember watching the news the rest of the night and next several days.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

Depends on what your idea of historic is, I suppose.

 

I remember as a kid watching Pete Rose break Cobb's record for all-time hits. I was 4, and I kept asking my dad why he would want to break someone's record (I was thinking of a vinyl musical record....hey....I was 4).

 

I remember watching the explosion of the Challenger space shuttle. I was in AM kindergarten at St. Agnes, and my mom let me hang around to watch the takeoff. I had my first explanation of death on the car ride home. I also remember watching Reagan's speech following the explosion.

I remember sitting for several hours at length and watching breaking news footage of the Columbia disaster as well.

 

I remember watching coverage on TV of the Berlin Wall being torn down. I had no idea what the significance was, or what communism was (besides the fact that Sylvester Stallone defeated communism in Rocky IV).

 

The Persian Gulf War

 

I remember being in the 6th grade and having my teacher turn on the live news footage of the standoff at the Branch Davidian compound. We watched the ATF attacking, the shootout, the ATF's withdrawal, and then we watched as the two men walked out and set the compound on fire. At that point, our principal came over the school intercom and instructed all teachers that might be watching with their classes to turn off the televisions.

 

I remember the Oklahoma City bombing.

 

Susan Smith drowning and covering up the murder of her two young sons.

 

I remember watching live news coverage of the Columbine School Shooting as the first responders and teachers rushed to clear students out of the school. I remember more school shootings after that as well.

 

September 11th.

 

Watching footage of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

 

The Washington DC Beltway Sniper(s)

 

I remember quite a few famous deaths and the goings on afterwards...President Nixon, President Reagan, President Ford, Princess Diana, Mother Theresa, Pope John Paul II, Thurgood Marshall, Osama Bin Laden, Kurt Cobain, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Mickey Mantle, Jon Benet Ramsey, Notoriuous BIG, Tupac

 

Some others.......Iran-Contra hearings, OJ Simpson Trial, Clarence Thomas appointment hearings, Menendez Brothers trial, Amy Fisher, Ted Kaczynski, John & Lorena Bobbitt, Tonya Harding & Nancy Kerrigan, Muhammad Ali lighting the Olympic Torch, lots of Olympic events in general.

[MentschTrachtGottLacht]

.......

 

John Lennon being shot.

Ronald Reagan being shot.

Space Shuttle exploding (sitting in Mike Listerman's chemistry class at CovCath).

OJ slow speed chase / subsequent verdict

Princess Di dying in car accident.

9/11

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

.......

 

John Lennon being shot.

Ronald Reagan being shot.

Space Shuttle exploding (sitting in Mike Listerman's chemistry class at CovCath).

OJ slow speed chase / subsequent verdict

Princess Di dying in car accident.

9/11

 

??

:wideyed:

 

 

All you Colonels....

[MentschTrachtGottLacht]

??

:wideyed:

 

 

All you Colonels....

 

:sssh:

[ThrillVille Cardinal51]

I have vivid memories of 9/11.

[JokersWild24]

Oklahoma City Bombing - at my Grandmother's house and she sees it on the news

 

Princess Diana's death

 

OJ Verdict - 5th grade, watched it in class

 

2000 Millenium - Y2K didn't end the world

 

Bush/Gore punch card

 

9/11 - Junior in HS, heard about it in the hallway, watched 2nd tower on TV

 

Beltway Sniper(s)

 

Bush's 2nd Term announced

 

Saddam Hussein Execution

 

Obama's Inauguration - saw it in a theater at UK

 

Bin Laden's Death

 

Arab Spring (mainly Egypt)

 

Gaddaffi's death - (Law school professor who runs what I think is the only Center for Terrorism Law in the nation and is often on CNN or other news outlets when something big related to terrorism happens is teaching us Civ Pro my 1L year. He gets a call, answers it, and tells us Gaddaffi is dead before some news outlets had even gotten ahold of it.)

[75center]

Cuban Missile Crises, first time I saw my dad scared

Nixon goes to China

Beatles arrive, do Ed Sullivan. Remember my dad talking thru their songs and ticking off my older brothers

POWs begin return from Vietnam

Watergate hearings

Woodstock, brother and girlfriend went up but couldn't get close