What historical event do you remember?

[Dr Strangelove]

Originally posted by Q Cubed
i remember being 3, nosed pressed up against the telly screen, watching the images of challenger exploding.
1986.

Wow! That must have been a really heavy mind trip for someone so young! Have there been any after effects?

[Zkribbler]

P'tui, dang young whippersnappers.

The earliest world event I can remember was the British-French-Israeli invasion of Egypt. I remember my mom explaining to me that Nassar had won the war by sinking his own ships in the Suez Canal, making it useless to the invading countries.

I remember Elvis's first songs coming out. "Hounddog" was simply amazing. I would listen for it whenever I got near a radio. (I heard it again years later and realized it was cr@p.)

I remember the Berlin Wall being build. It started off as rolls of barbed wire.

I remember my dad taking us kids out into the desert to wait for America's first satillite, ECHO, to come orbitting by. It was nothing more than a gigantic balloon, made to bounce radio signals off of. It was so big that, when you were in darkness and it caught the sunlight, you could see it with your naked eye. It looked like a slowly moving star.

[Cavalcadeus]

I was born in 1986. The first event I can remember is the Gulf War. Especially the footage of anti-aircraft fire over Baghdad. I was the only kid in my class who knew what was going on and could keep up a converstion with the teacher about the war. I can't remember anything about Bosnia though.

[Zero]

i remember all the ribbons hung on telphone poples and stuff after first gulf. And I remember bush saying "no more taxes".

Those are the earliest polysci related memories.

And I also remember the kuwaiti student who immigrated and attended our schoool. She was like the center of attention for no apparent reason.

Anyways, for personal historical moments, I remember the first time I got laid. Yeah!

[Sten Sture]

Originally posted by Zkribbler
I remember the Berlin Wall being build.

You, scribble, are a Fossil. Straight out of La Brea.

[Swissy]

I remember seeing the following on television:

JFK's funeral
RFK's assasination

I remember seeing the glow in the southern sky from the riots after M.L. King's assasination.

I remember returning from a Florida vaction in August of '68 and having to spend a a night at a relatives house in the south suburbs because we arrived after dark and couldn't enter the city. ('68 Democratic National Convention Riots)

Yes, 1968 was a memorable year.

[Lancer]

"I remember Elvis's first songs coming out."-Zkribbler

My first and only single was Chubby Checker's 'The Twist'. I played it over and over, finaly being banished to the basement with the phonograph.

"P'tui, dang young whippersnappers"

Thank you thank you thank you thank you, etc.

[St Leo]

Tanks rolling into Riga in '91.

[JohnT]

Watergate, definitely, but I seem to have some vague memory of the Pentagon papers, which happened when I was 4-5.

[JohnT]

"At first I felt confident that our city was reasonably far away from anywhere that someone would want to bomb, then one of my brothers pointed out that there was a secret government bomb shelter designed to hold the US government nearby, and that the Soviets would probably lob everything they had at it. I had nightmares about an air raid being sounded. "

The joys of siblings!

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Sten Sture
You, scribble, are a Fossil. Straight out of La Brea.

Yeah, I remember those being built too. I said, "Don't build those tar pits there. The wooly mammoths and sabre-tooth tigers will fall right in!" But did anyone listen to me?? NooOOooOooOooo. And now look. No wooly mammoths or sabre-toothed tigers.

[Sir Og]

I was born in 1976 and I remember the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II and the trial afterwards. It was big news in Bulgaria because one of the suspects was Bulgarian.

[Willem]

Originally posted by Sten Sture
Born in '65, and I remember some moon landings and Vietnam coverage, but the strongest memory is the '72 Olympics in Munich.

Yeah I remember that one too. I can recall seeing a news clip showing someone being pushed over the balcony, and these guys dressed all in black. The rest of the details are rather hazy though.

[Willem]

Originally posted by Kontiki
I would have thought that more people would have major sporting events as their first vivid memory. You typically don't give a rats ass about political issues when you're really young, and sometimes your parents will shield you from news that they think may scare you. Alot of kids are very much into sports, however, and I doubt few parents would have a problem with their kids watching something like the Olympics.

I think we tend to remember things that we're inclined towards in the first place. For instance, I recall that Beatles performance on Ed Sullivan very clearly, and I ended up becoming a musician myself later on.

And many of the other events I tend to remember were those where people were getting hurt, with me feeling sad about it. I'm still like that today, I have a high degree of empathy for people who are suffering, or experiencing a misfortune.

[Oerdin]

I actually have a slight memory of my father and grandfather sitting in front of the TV and watching news reports from the Falkland Islands war. I was 6 years old so at the time I had no idea who was fighting or where or why but I knew my family was interested since my Dad's cousin (grandfather's nephew) was in the Royal Navy at the time (though not in the Falklands).

From the mid 1980s on up I have a pretty clear memory of events.

[Pekka]

I remember (born 1980) the fall of Berlin wall, well more my parents talking about it that it was a about time. I remember the first Gulf War very good. I thought it made a great show and was bummed because we couldn't see all those nice lights and explosions (yes I was young).
I remember SU changing there name to Russia eventually. I remember Estonia, ship shinking.. that was pretty bad.

I remember Bush senior getting elected, and from there on every American scandal . I always thought they were silly murricans but they made a good show for me to watch.
Well basically I remember wars pretty good from early age, I don't know why, I've been always fascinated by them. Even when my folks did their best to explain it's horrible.. they made it only worse.. Oh well.

I also remember sporting events pretty well.

[Oerdin]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
Born in 1976, I vividly remember when Reagan was shot in 1981.

I didn't see the live coverage of Reagan getting shot but I remember the constent news coverage outside his hospital and I do remember when he got up and walked to the balcany to wave to the reporters.

[Willem]

Originally posted by Lancer


My first and only single was Chubby Checker's 'The Twist'. I played it over and over, finaly being banished to the basement with the phonograph.

Do you by chance remember a song called "You Talk To Much"? I've had that tune in my brain for years now and I'd love to find out who did it and maybe track it down so I could learn how to play it. My brother used to have it on a 45 but I can only remember a few bars and lines now, and I haven't a clue who played it.

[Willem]

Originally posted by Sten Sture


You, scribble, are a Fossil. Straight out of La Brea.

Yeah I was around then too, but I don't remember very much about it, just some vaque recollections. There's a few of us fossils hanging around here.

[Lincoln]

I remember the Cuban missile crisis, the two Kennedy assinations and the MLK assasination. I remember the first space flight by the Russians and the beginning of the American space program. I remember when adding machines were a big deal and simple computers took up the space in several rooms. I remember when digital watches came out and cost several hundred dollars.

I remember when jet airliners came into service, and when mothers stayed at home to raise their children while the fathers worked. I remember when men stood up when a woman walked into a room and when men gave their seat to a woman. I remember when we could carry guns to school and get on planes without any inspection whatsoever. I remember when people did not swear in public except in a bar and even then not around women or children.

I remember when we prayed in school and nobody said anything about it. I remember when the flower children were in vogue and when we had drills at school to prepare for nuclear attack because of the cold war. I remember when color TV came out and men landed on the moon. Yes, I am an old fart.

[Dr Strangelove]

Originally posted by Lincoln
I remember the Cuban missile crisis, the two Kennedy assinations and the MLK assasination. I remember the first space flight by the Russians and the beginning of the American space program. I remember when adding machines were a big deal and simple computers took up the space in several rooms. I remember when digital watches came out and cost several hundred dollars.

I remember when jet airliners came into service, and when mothers stayed at home to raise their children while the fathers worked. I remember when men stood up when a woman walked into a room and when men gave their seat to a woman. I remember when we could carry guns to school and get on planes without any inspection whatsoever. I remember when people did not swear in public except in a bar and even then not around women or children.

I remember when we prayed in school and nobody said anything about it. I remember when the flower children were in vogue and when we had drills at school to prepare for nuclear attack because of the cold war. I remember when color TV came out and men landed on the moon. Yes, I am an old fart.

I remember when everyone freaked out about Sputnik being the end of the world. I remember when most public places had four types of restrooms, not two. I remember northern kids freaking out and beating up southern kids after Little Rock. I remember when a man could do just about anything short of murder to his wife and/or kids without worrying about the repercussions. I remember when a kid could get a good talking to for addressing the black maid as "ma'am". I remember when black people stood up and gave up their seats when any white person got onto a bus. I remember when the slightest offering of tolerance to a person of a different race, creed, or religion couild get a person ostracized or even beaten up. I remember when southern white protestant kids admitted their relief that John Kennedy was dead.

I don't recall any school system that would have permitted students to carry guns on school grounds. I do remember a warning in a student handbook that such an offense would guarentee expulsion and prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.

Yep, I'm an old fart too, but my memeory is better.

[Lincoln]

I grew up in California. Where were you back then? But I do remember the race riots as well in Watts and elsewhere.

[Oerdin]

Originally posted by Lincoln
I remember when we prayed in school and nobody said anything about it. I remember when the flower children were in vogue and when we had drills at school to prepare for nuclear attack because of the cold war. I remember when color TV came out and men landed on the moon. Yes, I am an old fart.

I'm only 27 and I remember doing the duck and cover in school. We even had a seporate alarm bell to differentiate between a natural disaster (earthquake or fire) from a Soviet nuclear attack. The drills were made all the more real when you realized that were I lived was a first order target for the Soviets (the city was the headquarters for the US Pacific fleet).

[Dr Strangelove]

Originally posted by Lincoln
I grew up in California. Where were you back then? But I do remember the race riots as well in Watts and elsewhere.

I was born in Tennessee, moved to Syracuse, N.Y., when I was 2, then back south to Virginia 5 years later.

[Willem]

Originally posted by Lincoln
I remember when adding machines were a big deal and simple computers took up the space in several rooms. I remember when digital watches came out and cost several hundred dollars.

Computer science studies when I was in high school meant punching holes in cards and sending them off to Toronto, with a reply about a week later. It struck me then as a silly thing for people to spend their time on.

Little did I know.

[Aro]

I clearly remember the TV showing Lee Oswald being shot. I remember the tanks in the streets here, in Brazil (1964)... and the soviet tanks in Praga. Neil Armstrong touching in the lunar surface (man, that was GREAT! )... The FIFA World Cup in '70...
Good years and bad ones... I suppose I'm an old fart, too.

[Joseph]

I was in the Cuban missile crisis. I was station at Naval Training Center, San Diego in Security div. They took us to a camp in the county and train to shoot the . 45. I shot a 287 out of 400. Would have shot a 312 if I had just hit the target and been no. 1, but missed the target. Squeezed to early on one shot and missed. The guy standing next to me had a bad gun that jammed a lot. So on one of his jams, he was watching me, and told me after we stopped, that he would never get into a shootout with me because out of nine rounds, I had put seven in the bull and the other two were in the next ring.
My first memories was when I burned my right leg. I have a 2" by 8" scare on the inside of my right leg. It was just after Christmas 1945. I was trying to save a Christmas tree, because Santa would not be happy if it was burned. I was one year 9 MOS old. I remember looking down and my leg and it was hurting and then running to my mother. Some days later, remember wanting to scratch it, but my mother said I could not. Do not remember the DR visit at all.
I remember the Korean war. A young girl used to have me over for cookies and milk (1950), and one day she told me I could not come over any more, because her husband was coming home from the war. I saw him one day without a shirt and saw a big hole in back of his shoulder and then knew that you could be hurt fighting a war.
I remember very well the election of 52. My mother kept telling me Ike was going to stop the war, plus we talked about it at school.
I was born March 28, 1944, and I have a lot of memories from when I was 3, 4, and 5.

[Aro]

Primus inter pares...
Joseph, you are our King.

[Willem]

Originally posted by Aro
Primus inter pares...
Joseph, you are our King.

Yep, it looks like you're the Patriarch of this forum, the revered elder.

[Aro]

No, I'm not! Joseph is 10 years older. He's the Patriarch.

I'm a child, just 49... and my age is in my profile
I may be the second. The vice-Patriarch.

We should found the "Old Fart Club".