# What were the 2nd biggest news stories of 9/11 (and other dates that will live in infamy)? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 26, 2024, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-2nd-biggest-news-stories-of-9-11-and-other-dates-that-will-live-in-infamy/999394 "2024-03-26T15:15:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2024, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-2nd-biggest-news-stories-of-9-11-and-other-dates-that-will-live-in-infamy/999394/21 "2024-03-31T18:46:40Z")
The OP wasn’t in the U.S. otherwise Gary Condit would have been mentioned with 9/11. For those who don’t know Gary Condit was a congressman who had an affair. The other part of the affair disappeared. Her remains were later found in a park. It was a daily story until 9/11. Condit was presumed by many to be the most likely killer. He wasn’t. The story went away for the most part. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2024, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-2nd-biggest-news-stories-of-9-11-and-other-dates-that-will-live-in-infamy/999394/22 "2024-03-31T20:20:48Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Well, except for all of us Cheeseheads. 😉 you betchya! As far as I’m concerned, those FiBs stole the attention from Peshtigo. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2024, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-2nd-biggest-news-stories-of-9-11-and-other-dates-that-will-live-in-infamy/999394/23 "2024-03-31T20:43:09Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Peshtigo. For those wishing to know more about the fiery holocaust, “[Firestorm at Peshtigo](https://www.amazon.com/Firestorm-Peshtigo-Deadliest-American-History/dp/0805072934/ref=asc_df_0805072934/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=343211960134&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11422385767037571801&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1018258&hvtargid=pla-491630606787&psc=1&mcid=7aa00d71da0d3921aa84444eb3f0a759&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=67797266063&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=343211960134&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11422385767037571801&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1018258&hvtargid=pla-491630606787&gclid=Cj0KCQjwk6SwBhDPARIsAJ59GwcP9LQsnQnAk1rYrjNPTSLVYP83RsVZQkDfOFfJZLxieADy7SplgpgaArzZEALw_wcB)” is an excellent book about it. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2024, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-2nd-biggest-news-stories-of-9-11-and-other-dates-that-will-live-in-infamy/999394/24 "2024-03-31T20:44:06Z")
Alan Chmurny was a Ph.D. biochemist and vice-president of a Maryland biotechnology company who became obsessed with a younger married co-worker. He began a years-long stalking campaign, for which he was eventually found guilty of several charges of attempted murder. In the courtroom, right after the jury delivered the verdict, Chmurny swallowed a cyanide capsule. He died a day or so later in the hospital. The verdict was delivered on September 12, 2001. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2024, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-2nd-biggest-news-stories-of-9-11-and-other-dates-that-will-live-in-infamy/999394/25 "2024-03-31T22:26:29Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > The OP wasn’t in the U.S. otherwise Gary Condit would have been mentioned with 9/11. This is what I thought of first. There was a photo of a very angry Condit pushing back at a photographer, and I had actually printed this photo out and hung it on the wall. And there was a joke: Bill Clinton saying to Gary Condit “Jeez, Gary, when I was done with them at least they were still breathing!” I look back on this scandal as pretty much the last news story of an expired naive era. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2024, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-2nd-biggest-news-stories-of-9-11-and-other-dates-that-will-live-in-infamy/999394/26 "2024-03-31T22:30:26Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > I look back on this scandal as pretty much the last news story of an expired naive era. Agreed. The Condit / Chandra Levy story absolutely dominated the news in the summer of 2001, right up until 9/11. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2024, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-2nd-biggest-news-stories-of-9-11-and-other-dates-that-will-live-in-infamy/999394/27 "2024-03-31T22:39:17Z")
I remember that as well (including shock jock Tom Leykis saying soon after 9/11 that Gary Condit just got the best news of his life), although Robert Blake being accused of his wife’s murder in May 2001 was daily tabloid fodder too ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2024, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-2nd-biggest-news-stories-of-9-11-and-other-dates-that-will-live-in-infamy/999394/28 "2024-03-31T23:13:35Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > I look back on this scandal as pretty much the last news story of an expired naive era. Yes. There was also speculation that Chandra Levy had fallen out with Condit and decided to ruin him. By taking a long vacation out of reach of U.S. media. And, that after he had been disgraced, divorced, and forced out of office, she would show up surprised at what had happened. IIRC one of the major stories in the slow-news summer of 2001 was… get ready: SHARK ATTACKS! Oh, and Gary Condit bore a strong resemblance to actor William H. Macy. Who played the bumbling would-be conman in the movie _Fargo_. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2024, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-2nd-biggest-news-stories-of-9-11-and-other-dates-that-will-live-in-infamy/999394/29 "2024-04-01T01:15:49Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > “C.S. Lewis and Aldous Huxley died the same day as JFK I did not know about C.S. Lewis. ---
**Author:** ![Yelnick\_McWawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/839c29/32.png) [@Yelnick\_McWawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yelnick_McWawa)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2024, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-2nd-biggest-news-stories-of-9-11-and-other-dates-that-will-live-in-infamy/999394/30 "2024-04-02T00:37:45Z")
> [@caligulathegod](#): > > Not the same day, but Groucho Marx died August 19, 1977, just three days after Elvis Presley died on August 16. Elvis was still dominating the news cycle. The two actors who played Colonel Henry Blake (M_A_S\*H) died one day apart. The death of Mary Jo Kopechne by Ted Kennedy barely made page two of newspapers (even in Massachusetts) which was overshadowed by the moon landing in 1969. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2024, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-2nd-biggest-news-stories-of-9-11-and-other-dates-that-will-live-in-infamy/999394/31 "2024-04-02T01:41:32Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > Right! I think “C.S. Lewis and Aldous Huxley died the same day as JFK” has been repeated enough that nowadays, a lot of people **do** know it. It’s well enough known that Sheryl Crow used it in the lyrics to “Run, Baby, Run” ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2024, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-2nd-biggest-news-stories-of-9-11-and-other-dates-that-will-live-in-infamy/999394/32 "2024-04-02T02:02:27Z")
On January 28, 1986 Ronald Reagan was preparing to deliver the State of the Union speech that evening, when he received word the Space Shuttle Challenger had blown up. The speech was delayed a week. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2024, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-2nd-biggest-news-stories-of-9-11-and-other-dates-that-will-live-in-infamy/999394/33 "2024-04-13T17:48:49Z")
Here’s another one. Orville Wright died of a heart attack at home at the age of 76. While his period of fame had been decades earlier, normally his death would have been a pretty big news story. Except he died on January 30, 1948, which was the same day Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated. ---
**Author:** ![DooProcess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DooProcess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooProcess)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2024, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-2nd-biggest-news-stories-of-9-11-and-other-dates-that-will-live-in-infamy/999394/34 "2024-04-21T22:28:55Z")
This was another 9/11 News cycle deal > **[Rainbow Farm](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Farm)** > > Rainbow Farm was a pro-marijuana campground in Newberg Township, Cass County, Michigan, United States, that was involved in a fatal police standoff on September 3, 2001. The campground was run by Tom Crosslin and his life partner Rolland “Rollie” Rohm and was home to two annual festivals, "HempAid" and "Roach Roast", which ran from 1996 through 2001. The operation ended with the burning down of all the structures on the property and the deaths of both Crosslin and Rohm. > Crosslin and Rohm met in ... Was looking like it could have been another Ruby ridge type deal but the news coverage shifted ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-2nd-biggest-news-stories-of-9-11-and-other-dates-that-will-live-in-infamy/999394/35 "2024-04-22T21:33:14Z")
It was a week apart, but Mother Theresa’s death didn’t get as much media attention as it might have, because the media were still talking about Princess Di’s. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-2nd-biggest-news-stories-of-9-11-and-other-dates-that-will-live-in-infamy/999394/36 "2024-04-22T21:54:35Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Condit was presumed by many to be the most likely killer. He wasn’t. The story went away for the most part. The arrest, prosecution and subsequent release due to prosecutorial bungling of the prime suspect in Chandra Levy’s murder is infuriating. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-2nd-biggest-news-stories-of-9-11-and-other-dates-that-will-live-in-infamy/999394.md?page=1)