What is the earliest major news event that you remember in your lifetime? (2 Viewers)

[skol asylum]

I vaguely remember election returns or something in 1980. Pictures of Reagan and Carter on TV. I remember wanted Carter to win because he looked like a nice guy.

 

[The Noid]

Born in '74 and remember the Three Mile Island nuclear accident in '79. It was obviously huge news in Philly and I still vividly recall seeing this newspaper picture and headline on a coffee table.

 

[The General]

Reagan getting shot and the Hoosiers winning the Championship on the same day.

Lived in Bloomington, Hoosiers winning was a bigger story to me as a kid but I remember my Mom telling me about it and the newspaper headline.

 

[Christo]

The Iranian revolution of 79. Watching the Shah leave, mullahs arrive, riots, blackouts, peeps getting shot, teens on the street with guns enforcing the curfew, leaving the country without my dad not knowing if he'll get out later..... you know, ordinary stuff a 15 year old goes through..

My wife lived in Tehran then.

 

[TheIronSheik]

My wife lived in Tehran then.

Iran number 1!

 

[General Malaise]

This was me too, college for chase, law school for verdict.

They broadcast the verdict on a large TV for a room holding about 100 of my fellow future lawyers, and I remember watching everybody's reactions based primarily on race, and thinking to myself "Two different Americas..."

Yeah, I was waiting tables at a BBQ restaurant in Jackson, MS.  There were a couple TVs scattered throughout the restaurant and I remember the gasps from most of the white patrons inside the restaurant then going back into the kitchen area where the black cooks/dishwashers were cheering with joy.  It was crazy.

 

[Christo]

Iran number 1!

Once it was pretty cool. Now it's like the US if the Baptists ran the place.

 

[TheIronSheik]

Once it was pretty cool. Now it's like the US if the Babtists ran the place.

Iran number 1!  Russia number 1! USA patooie!

 

[facook]

The Gas Crisis of '76? I remember waiting in lines for miles. 

Wow, I thought you were much younger than that.  Not sure why.

 

[rockaction]

Wow, I thought you were much younger than that.  Not sure why.

I was three. Yeah, I have sort of a youthful demeanor, I guess. I'm really just tempestuous. 

 

[top dog]

Wasn't sure if it was Reagan getting shot or the Challenger explosion.  Had to look up which happened first.  I was 6 when Reagan was shot.  I remember it well.  I remember watching the Challenger explosion live at school. I was 11 then.  

To be fair I did a lot of drugs in high school, so my timelines are a little off in my head.

 

[facook]

I was three. Yeah, I have sort of a youthful demeanor, I guess. I'm really just tempestuous. 

I'm a year younger than you ('74).  Maybe it's the gal in your avi with great skin.  Makes you seem younger.  

 

[rockaction]

I'm a year younger than you ('74).  Maybe it's the gal in your avi with great skin.  Makes you seem younger.  

Yeah, Anna and myself tend to part company -- at least a touch -- when it comes to all things young and beautiful.

 

[CurlyNight]

My wife lived in Tehran then.

It really was fun before all hell broke loose. Lots of parties. What I really enjoyed was the different radio stations like French, Italian, German and products from countries all over the world in stores. It was truly an international city. Tons of people from all over the world there to work and enjoy a fun environment at that time. People just see what's on tv. Even today there are beautiful hotels, restaurants, etc. But you'll never see that in the US. I get to see the other side from family photos. 

 

[rogwadd]

The OJ Simpson chase

Christ, I was slinging drinks in a Chili' s in Bailey's X-Roads in VA during NBA Finals.  Tips were good that evenong.

 

[rogwadd]

JFK funeral?  That would have put me about 4 1/2 years old.  That would have also put me in Ft Bragg, NC.

 

[BassNBrew]

I was home for 2 weeks with the flu and we only had 3 channels on the tv. And this was on all 3. Pure hell. 

You had PBS.  I don't think they pre-empted Big Bird.

 

[rogwadd]

I remember all the stuff with Three Mile Island happening but I was too young to understand what it meant.  

So I’ll go with Reagan either getting elected or soon after getting shot

I voted for Reagan.

 

[Penguin]

I think for me it was the 1973 oil crisis. I remember my parents waiting in crazy lines for gas and you could only get it on certain days, I was 6.

 

[Chaos Commish]

moon landing

 

[Otis]

Jesus some of you guys are old af. Hell, you must be older thank Tanner. 

 

[Tecumseh]

Born in '74 and remember the Three Mile Island nuclear accident in '79. It was obviously huge news in Philly and I still vividly recall seeing this newspaper picture and headline on a coffee table.

It's either this or the hostage crisis for me. Born in '72.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Not a major news event, but I can remember watching the 1966 World Series with my father.

The earliest big news happening I can still recall is MLK getting murdered. 

 

[Brony]

Never saw the OJ chase. I was in Europe for work. Was it cool? 

 

[rockaction]

Never saw the OJ chase. I was in Europe for work. Was it cool? 

You know what? It wasn't. It was a media creation. 

 

[Ilov80s]

Never saw the OJ chase. I was in Europe for work. Was it cool? 

Surreal is a better description. 

 

[Don Quixote]

Never saw the OJ chase. I was in Europe for work. Was it cool? 

It was a wild day.  I lived in NJ at the time with a significant Knicks fan base, and remember people being more upset about cutting into Knicks-Rockets. There was a "30 for 30" that covered that day pretty well.

 

[grateful zed]

moon landing

the Honda Vamos, was first released in 1970.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

It was a wild day.  I lived in NJ at the time with a significant Knicks fan base, and remember people being more upset about cutting into Knicks-Rockets. There was a "30 for 30" that covered that day pretty well.

We were in Houston watching the same thing.  Really annoying.  The "30 for 30" gave us flashbacks.

 

[Man of Constant Sorrow]

my reaction to the Sputnik launch, the wk b4 i turned 3, got me on TV. i've told the story too many times before - a FBG search of the name of the satellite should yield sumn

I searched and found this:

Nevermore!

You can't keep your eyes off the sky.

My earliest are the Munich massacre of the '72 Olympics and the Patty Hearst kidnapping. I mainly remember my parents' reactions, but have some images in my head from the news at the time.

 

[Arizona Ron]

Brown v. Board.  I remember getting bused off to that new shiny school for the first time and realized I had an affinity for white women. 

 

[rogwadd]

Brown v. Board.  I remember getting bused off to that new shiny school for the first time and realized I had an affinity for white women. 

My respect for you just quadrupled.  Keep it up, my friend.

 

[Ray Barboni]

The first two that I can remember, unfortunately of course - was the UniBomber and then OJ. Shortly after was the columbine shooting.

i was maybe around the age of 10-15 for those though.

9-11 was really the biggest one for me. 18years old and legit scared and aware of the world at that point 

 

[steeler6]

You had PBS.  I don't think they pre-empted Big Bird.

True. If I remember correctly, they only had kid shows in the early morning and after 3pm. 

 

[Dr. Octopus]

I remember the Apollo 11 moon landing, though I was only 6 months old at the time. 

Ive been told over and over it’s not possible to have memories at that age, but I can remember distinctly the images on that old Zenith tv, and the green painted tv stand it was on. 

So odd because I was basically the same age and have the same memory. I even remember my dad saying “watch this it’s history”.

It seems impossible that I could remember it but I have convinced myself that I have. Same I remember the old black and white TV on a stand in the corner of our apartment in Queens.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

There are a few folks here older than we are, but when someone says their earliest memory as a young child is something that happened when I was in college, I can feel more of my hair turning gray.

I was actually two years out of college and in a NYC apartment watching the Knicks with my friends while pre-gaming for a Soundgarden concert at the Armory when the news cut to the Bronco chase. This topic has surely made me feel old.