News Events.

[Phil]

What are some of the earliest news events you remember?

I was born in 1971 I kind of remember Gerald Ford being President and losing the election to Jimmy Carter. I remember the red, white and blue satiation of the bicentennial. I remember a supermarket parking lot around 4th of July with a big 5 tier cake, not a real cake of course, but 200 candles.

I remember Elvis Presley died. That was 1977. My mother had a lot of his albums so I was aware of who Elvis was. I'm not sure at 6 I had a full concept of how famous he was though.

I remember Hubert Humphrey died. I was not aware he was a former vice President but his funeral was on TV and my parents explained who he was.

Around that same period of time 2 popes died. Pope Paul XI died and John Paul became pope. He died after about 2 months and John Paul II became pope. That was 1978.

My dad was quite bummed when John Wayne died in 1979. I remember the Iran capture of the US hostages in demand for the Shah's return. Russia and Afghanistan war. The 1980 hockey team winning the gold medal at the Olympics.

The fear through my growing up years was the possibility of a war against Russia in a World War 3 situation.

I remember most of the news events of the 1980s but I was double digit age through most of them.

[Blastgirl]

I remember the Iran thing vaguely. I remember Reagan becoming President. Not too much News before that. I really don't think I paid much attention to things like this until about age twelve that puts us about 1987 or 88.

I remember a lot after that but not much before.

[Classicblast]

I was probably older than that when I started following news.

I would be able to tell you who won every world Series from the time I was 3 or 4 years old but to remember world events not so much until I was in early high school. That puts me at about 14 or 15 years old.

About late 80s early 90s

[Pumpkin]

I still remember the JFK assassination in November of 1963. I was in first grade at the time, and I was upset that all the Saturday morning cartoons were canceled due to the news coverage of the tragedy. It was a boring weekend for an energetic kid.

I remember well the presidential election in 1964, Lyndon Johnson vs Barry Goldwater. I also have a vague recollection of the Cuban missile crisis and some of the neighbors who were scared or sensible enough to start stockpiling emergency supplies in case of a nuclear war. Those were the infamous "duck and cover" days.

And lest I forget, I still remember Super Bowl I in 1967. It was the mighty Packer dynasty versus the AFL upstart Kansas City Chiefs. The Packers won 35-10, but the Chiefs played them tough through the first half. The odd things about the game were: 1) both CBS and NBC broadcast the game using the same camera shots but kept their own commentary and play by play. 2) The game wasn't close to a sellout---about 30,000 shy of that. The game wasn't nearly the big event that it is today.

The Packers won Super Bowl 2 the next year, then came Broadway Joe in Super Bowl 3. In Super Bowl 4, The Chiefs stomped my Vikes. But it was a fun 4 years to be a fan with the rivalry between the AFL and NFL so strong. ;D That element has kind of been missing ever since. It's not quite the same with the AFC-NFC thing being all one league, not competing leagues.

[Kimm]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh What a great topic.

Historic events as remembered by members of Lewasite.
Not to sound like a b'tch but I cant remember as much as Phil and Pumpkin theyre 36 and 50 years old respectively, and Im 26.

The longest ago news event that I remember for sure was Space shuttle Challenger disintegrating due to a fuel booster leak catching the rocket fire and igniting causing the shuttle to catch fire and at those temperatures it wouldnt be long before its over.

I remember my dad and my mom explaining that the shuttle had a teacher on board and she was not an astronaut, but the astronauts trained her for this mission. That was the 1st time a civilian was being sent into space.

It was about 17 years later Space shuttle Columbia crashed during a landing attempt damage to the wing caused the craft to spin out of control and crash.

Some irony is that Challengers crash was on liftoff so the crew was not able to accomplish their mission. Columbias crew did accomplish their mission but they were unable to bring it back in a personal lesson sense.

I cant remember anything longer ago than the space shuttle disaster. I was born in 1981 and I have heard about President Reagan and Pope John Paul II both being wounded but I was only a baby and do not remember either of those things.



Pumpkin, is that the Super Bowl that some guys who played in it are now over 70 years old but it was so cold they lost feeling in finger tips and still have no feeling in their fingers? Its 1 of the 1st and thats why they either play superbowls in domes or warmer stadiums now.

[Pumpkin]

You got the time frame right, Kimm. Actually, it was the NFL championship game the next year that was so cold. That was the -13 degree "Icebowl" game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers with the winner going on to face the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl II.

I think it is true that games like that convinced the NFL powers that be that the Super Bowl must be played in a warm climate or indoors if it was up north like in Detroit.

That game between the Giants and Packers last Sunday was a delight to watch just to see the how the teams dealt with the elements---something that's often missing nowdays due to domed stadiums, artificial turf, and stadiums made only for football. There's nothing like watching a player get tackled on the baseball infield dirt of those old multi-purpose stadiums. ;D

[Kimm]

Ive seen that on NFL documentaries that Vince Lombardi is out with scarf and earmuffs but you can see his breath his yelling could not only be heard but seen. ;D

[Classicblast]

Hell hath no fury like a p'ssed off coach.

[Phil]

I remember there were a lot of shootings in 1981 to think about it. I was about 10 when Ronald Reagan was shot and wounded, Pope John Paul II was also wounded, Egyptian President Sadat was killed that year. So was the Ayatollah Bullheshti -sp- who was supposedly the 2nd commander in chief to Ayatollah Kholmeni.

Iranians accused the United States of being behind that, and who knows? there was some hostility. But the Ayatollah and his people were hated by lots of others so ... leave it at that.

[edlin]

I didn't start watching the news for a loooooooong time. Bush getting elected is the oldest thing I can remember with certainty.

[Kimm]

I dont remember how old you are edlinfan but if youre a teenager and you remember Bush being elected in 2000 thats a pretty long while for your age.

[Earl]

back then all my political views were just what my parent's veiws were (like all children) and so I rooted for bush. I can remember sitting in the living room waiting for the results for the florida recount and jumping up and down when it was bush.


how silly it all seems to me now.

[grape]

I remember how a bunch of people flipped out angered when they saw Calderon elected as president for Mexico. What a nightmare, as Obrador had made a fair campaign with many people and then had his people block up the most used streets and caused huge chaos just because Obrador wasn't elected. Supposedly there was a fraud but it hasn't been proved. It all calmed down though. There are still some protesters but they're the kind that just hold up their posters and yelling phrases.

[dannyboy]

I really dont remember all that many news events from my early childhood. Spaceshuttle challenger I remember kind of but I don't know if I really understood it I was only about 3.

I remember George Bush Sr being elected President and my mother telling me that he is the Vice President right now but President Reagan will be retiring and therefore the Vice President is putting in for the job but he has to be elected it doesn't come automatically. I think I understood that.

Then I don't remember a whole lot else for a while. But I'm 25 now I really haven't started following news events until about 19 years old.

[fartinggurl]

I'm sure everybody here remembers September 11, 2001. Before that, I didn't really follow news events very closely.

[Phil]

I was going to say my age is kind of dating when I mentioned Elvis and President Carter, but when Pumpkin mentioned President Kennedy I wasn't going to be born for a long time from that.

September 11, 2001 is probably the most notable thing that has ever happened in American history. Even Pearl Harbor was a military base so at least the Japanese attacked wariors not just a building filled with business people tourists and everyday persons.

I still think it surpasses Pearl Harbor.

But to be on topic I will stay with the bicentennial and the Carter election as the longest ago news events that I personally remember.

[Pumpkin]

I was thinking about a few other news memories from way back when....

Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King assassinated and 1968 Democratic Convention protests. Tet offensive.

"The Eagle has landed", 1969.

Mini skirts and hot pants.

American involvement in Viet Nam ends.

"Your President is not a crook", Watergate, Nixon resigns, Pres. Ford runs for election against Jimmy Carter.

Stagflation, recession, high interest rates.

Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) and the end of the ballistic missile defense system, Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty takes hold.

Vikings explore Mars.

Nixon went to China, detente with the Soviet Union.

Neutron bomb.

Iran hostage crisis and Islamic Republic born, Shah flees....

Those are my high points from the late 60's to 70's-type news.

On a sporting note, I remember the Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier boxing matches. It was a fun time to follow the heavy weight division and listen to what Ali would say next. He had a playful relationship with sportscaster Howard Cosell.

I can still hear in my mind Cosell saying "Down goes Frazier, Down goes Frazier" as Joe unsuccessfully defended his championship against George Foreman.....Good days to have lived through.

[Jersey]

I remember a few things. I remember Clinton's re-election campaign, I have vague memories of news reports about the first war in Iraq, and a couple other things. But mostly I remember tv commercials and events in my family. I wasn't really interested in the news until I got into high school.