# What's the first news event you remember? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 13, 2002, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-news-event-you-remember/142395 "2002-12-13T01:50:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-news-event-you-remember/142395/61 "2002-12-13T18:16:02Z")
Born late '68. I _may_ recall Nixon’s resignation. I recall watching TV at my grandparent’s house, with maybe-kinda-sorta Nixon talking. Very dim, though. Equally dim: Evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam. Memory of helicopters. But this may be corrupted, maybe helicopters flew over our house for some reason. Definite: '76 election. I remember telling my Dad that I was disappointed Ford lost, because he reminded me of Grampa. Dad replied that I was being silly should be thankful he did! ---
**Author:** ![Young\_Mr.Grace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e47c2d/32.png) [@Young\_Mr.Grace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Young_Mr.Grace)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-news-event-you-remember/142395/62 "2002-12-13T18:21:49Z")
I must have about 3 at the time, but I remember the Reagan inauguration. I clearly remember see a man looking very crestfallen staring out into the rain towards a another man at a podium. The crestfallen one was Carter by the way. I also remember my mom saying something to the effect of, “Maybe now we’ll get the hostages back.” (Iran). ---
**Author:** ![booklover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@booklover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/booklover)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-news-event-you-remember/142395/63 "2002-12-13T18:33:39Z")
I was born in 1977 and can remember hearing about Nicaragua and guerrillas on the news a lot. I remember being puzzled as to why they kept talking about gorillas (!) and kept showing pictures of soldiers instead. For a finite news event, Challenger was definitely it. ---
**Author:** ![okielady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/fbc32d/32.png) [@okielady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/okielady)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-news-event-you-remember/142395/64 "2002-12-13T18:44:21Z")
I was born in March of 1973, so I was 4 when Elvis Presley died. I do remember it happening, though. Also remember (but not sure of dates or order) Charles/Di wedding, Regan winning the election, and St. Helens erupting. ---
**Author:** ![Adridne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ccd318/32.png) [@Adridne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Adridne)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-news-event-you-remember/142395/65 "2002-12-13T18:56:17Z")
Challenger explosion. Or possibly when Burma changed its name to Myanmar. I don’t remember which came first. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-news-event-you-remember/142395/66 "2002-12-13T19:00:35Z")
Wow, thank god for **SandyHook** and **Ringo** , and especially for **Zoe** and **LouisB** , because you young uns are depressing the hell out of me. Born 12/31/54: First “news” thing I remember is the 1960 election – vivid memory of JFK’s inauguration, when I had just turned 6. Prior to that, “private” memories only – not much going on in the Eisenhower era… ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-news-event-you-remember/142395/67 "2002-12-13T19:04:24Z")
It was the first moon landing for me. I was 5, and, I have to admit, I didn’t realize the significance of what I was seeing. I was irritated because I was missing the Beverly Hillbillies. ---
**Author:** ![Opengrave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/919ad9/32.png) [@Opengrave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opengrave)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-news-event-you-remember/142395/68 "2002-12-13T19:08:41Z")
**Watergate** it was _always_ on. Scooby Doo was nowhere to be found. I was pissed! ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-news-event-you-remember/142395/69 "2002-12-13T19:14:24Z")
1972 Munich Olympics Hostage Ordeal and Watergate. I was 8. ---
**Author:** ![Magickly\_Delicious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magickly\_Delicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magickly_Delicious)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-news-event-you-remember/142395/70 "2002-12-13T19:20:46Z")
I remember that little girl who was stuck in the well for a day or so–was her name Jessica? I don’t remember what year, somewhere mid-80’s? ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-news-event-you-remember/142395/71 "2002-12-13T19:21:05Z")
I was born in 1978, and I disctinctly remember hearing about the eruption of Mt. St. Helens. However, a few years ago I realized that this occurred in 1980 - a couple months before my second birthday. So I now kind of doubt that memory as false. Other than that, I remember hearing about Nicaragua and guerillas, too, **booklover**. From 1984, when I was 5, on, I remember pretty much everything. The 1984 Summer Olympics made a big impact on me, and so did Reagan’s reelection (my parents hated him). ---
**Author:** ![JimOfAllTrades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@JimOfAllTrades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimOfAllTrades)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-news-event-you-remember/142395/72 "2002-12-13T19:21:43Z")
My first “big news” memory is of John Glenn’s flight in Friendship 7. Well, not the flight exactly, but the splashdown. I had just barely turned 6 and was in pre-school, and it was after hours. My folks had called and I guess they had run into some kind of problem (probably with a piece of crap car they always had to drive back then), and they couldn’t pick me up right on time. The teacher’s knew my dad (he drove a bus for them as a second job) and I sat with a couple of them waiting for my parents to come get me. I had a vague realization that something was going on, the teachers had been talking about it all day, and as we were waiting, they were listening to the radio. They told me that someone had been sent into space on a rocket, and now they were waiting to see if he could get back safely. I honestly don’t remember if the teachers had said they knew there was a problem, or if it was just general anxiety about the landing, but the three of us sat there listening to the events described on the radio, and I remember being scared to death the man would die. When the radio said he made it down safely, I almost cried from the release of tension. A few minutes later my parents came, and all everyone talked about was what had happened. The next big thing I remember is JFK’s assassination, late the next year. I was in first grade by that time, and we got sent home a little early. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-news-event-you-remember/142395/73 "2002-12-13T19:46:31Z")
It would have to be the assassination of JFK. I should remember things from a bit earlier, but in my defence, at that time not many people had television and newspapers never seemed to leave the same vivid impression. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Kn\_ckers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/96bed5/32.png) [@Kn\_ckers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kn_ckers)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-news-event-you-remember/142395/74 "2002-12-13T20:08:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Adridne \* > \*\*Challenger explosion. \*\* The _Challenger_ disaster was mine, too. I was six, and I remembed it vividly. I feel like I should have some memory of news events before the age of six. I guess I must not have paid much attention until then. But _Challenger_ made a huge impression on me. ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-news-event-you-remember/142395/75 "2002-12-13T20:13:45Z")
Does it count if I remember them after someone else mentioned them in this thread? ---
**Author:** ![mcms\_cricket](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@mcms\_cricket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcms_cricket)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-news-event-you-remember/142395/76 "2002-12-13T20:37:48Z")
Interesting thread. I know what I remember, but the thing is, my perception of events is off, so I’m not always sure when some things happened, and which happened **first** -my inital answer would be that the Iranian hostage crisis is the first thing I remember, and then the first shuttle launch. But I was amazed, a few posts back, to find out that the hostage crisis was in 1979 and Columbia in '81. I would have thought it was a few years earlier (I was born in '68). So, I went to the [Super70’s.com](http://www.super70s.com/Super70s/Timeline/1976/) timeline to double-check myself - And the first thing I really remember was when the Concorde first started flying. That was in 1976. Also, I remember the Viking I mission to mars, and all the hullaballoo surounding the bicentennial (does anyone remember the Freedom Train?). After that, the first test tube baby, Jim Jones, Three Mile Island, Skylab falling… It’s interesting to look at all this stuff -because I do remember it, but I wouldn’t have remembered that I remember it (does that make any sense?). ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-news-event-you-remember/142395/77 "2002-12-13T20:43:21Z")
Watergate. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-news-event-you-remember/142395/78 "2002-12-13T20:48:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ringo \* > **…I remember… the Berlin Wall…** Same era as me, but we need to be more specific: we both remember the Berlin Wall _going up_, as well as it coming down! ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-news-event-you-remember/142395/79 "2002-12-13T21:01:32Z")
Attica…on our 9 inch B/W tv in our kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-news-event-you-remember/142395/80 "2002-12-13T21:04:28Z")
Attica…and just checked the year. Thought is was 1972, but it was 1971 and I was four. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-news-event-you-remember/142395.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-news-event-you-remember/142395.md?page=5)