What historical event do you remember?

Stefu · May 5, 2003, 07:27

(Note: I'm born in 1984, ie. 19 years old.)

I don't remember the fall of the Wall or the first Gulf war. I do, however, have a faint memory of when the USSR was still on the maps. (Maybe they just were old maps.

) I don't remember the first Bush, though I seem to remember seeing some guy playing golf in TV and it was somehow related to 1992 election in US. I remember some of Bosnia and OKC. I remember Columbine and that other big school shooting - Jonesboro, was it? I remmber Princess Di's death. I generally remember everything from the Clinton impeachment on.

As for Finnish events, I don't have much memories of the Great Recession. What was a comparatively mild recession in US and elsewhere in early 90s was a searing affair in Finland. I do remember teachers on the leave and newscasters continually talking about levels of unemployment. I remember the 1994 presidential election and the 1995 EU vote. I remember Finland winning hockey gold in 1995 and the country going crazy for some time afterwards. I remember the Estonia disaster and pretty much everything from then onwards. I remember when Nokia still was known for it's rubber boots and tires.

FrustratedPoet · May 5, 2003, 07:42

I think my first memory of a major world event was the fall of the Berlin Wall. I didn't appreciate exactly why it was so important, but I remember watching the pictures on TV and I knew that something big was happening.

Bugs ****ing Bunny · May 5, 2003, 07:43

I remember the helicopters over the US embassy in the fall of Saigon. That must be the earliest.

Then loads of African conflicts. I was at the age where fact and fiction tend to get blurred, and after watching the "Planet of the Apes" TV series I was profoundly scared by news stories of "guerillas" armed with rocket launchers.

Bugs ****ing Bunny · May 5, 2003, 07:44

Election of Jimmy Carter- that was another. I was fascinated by his wrinkly face and massive grin.

Bereta_Eder · May 5, 2003, 07:46

I remember the great scandal of '89 but I doubt thatmeans anything to you.

I remember assembling a puzzle of the world map and thinking holy crap the USSR is large.

Case · May 5, 2003, 07:49

The earliest world event I remember is the Challenger Space Shuttle disarster. I must have been about 8 at the time.

Bugs ****ing Bunny · May 5, 2003, 07:49

Was that the one where the old geezer who ran Greece (papandreou- something?) was photographed on a beach with a woman young enough to be his grand-daughter, fiddling with his bits?

Bereta_Eder · May 5, 2003, 07:54

Quote:

Originally posted by Lazarus and the Gimp
Was that the one where the old geezer who ran Greece (papandreou- something?) was photographed on a beach with a woman young enough to be his grand-daughter, fiddling with his bits?

He married her too so she could keep fiddling.
That's not a scandal of course.

It was about massive corruption between the Papandreou party and private corporations. So when the main opposition was voted in power they took many of the officials of the Papandreou's party in court. One of them even died of a heart attack in court defending himself (to the end you could say literally).

That happened in '89 and it is known as the "dirty '89".

Papandreou's party calls it dirty because they accused their opponents of "criminilizating political life".

The main opposition called it dirty because of the allegended (to keep the pretexes, yes there was corruption just as certaintly as the sun will rise tomorrow) corruption.

Top ministers (including finance) were taken to the Arios Pagos, the supreme court, and I remember watching the proceedings on TV.

I didn't understand anything but it was funny because the minister of finance kept givin lip to the supreme justice judge and he'd keep giving him penalties ect etc

dannubis · May 5, 2003, 07:59

The first international incident that I remeber is the explosion of the challenger space shuttle. i was nine.

Spiffor · May 5, 2003, 08:03

I was 8 during the 1989 events. My most precise memory is Ceaucescu's trial, which I watched live, mainly because I'm from Romanian decent (half of my family fled the Romanian regime).

I was delighted at the sight of Ceacescu being executed after this farce trial. Really.

General Ludd · May 5, 2003, 08:04

Chernobyl and the Berlin Wall, I was born in 1984.

The thing that I remember most about both of those was the atmosphere in my house, and my families reaction to it - I didn't understand what was really happening, and didn't really remember any of the details of the events. But seeing the same news images of these events some 16 years later was instantly reconisable to me.

Dauphin · May 5, 2003, 08:06

The earliest historical event I remember is either the Challenger disaster or Chenobyl. Both happened about the same time IIRC. I was about 6.

I remember the UK "hurricane" of Oct '87. I also remember a media frenzied hurricane warning for Connecticut a couple of years before that. A quick web search puts that as 1985.

Frankychan · May 5, 2003, 08:12

born 1980.

I remember....

Berlin Wall falling. I was like-daaamn, I wish I was there to kick the crap outta that wall.

Tiananmen Square-I watched that man stand in front of that tank and thought "That guy has balls."

The USSR falls. I remember tanks rolling through Moscow and fighting in the streets. Boris Yeltsin called for a democratic election.

1st gulf war. I called Hussein "So-damn In-sane"

that's about it.

Dr Strangelove · May 5, 2003, 08:21

I remember Sputnik's launch and Kennedy's election. I very vividly remember the Cuban missle crisis. 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. It was our school system's plan that walkers would be let out to walk home. In my nightmare I would start out to climb the hill to home, then looking over my shoulder notice a small black speck arcing through the sky towards the valley below. I would then start to run. As I looked back every so often the speck would come closer. Reaching the top of the hill and within sight of home I'd look up to clearly see a dark ovoid object falling from the sky, and then the world briefly enveloped in blinding white light before darkness enveloped everything. Then I'd wake up.
After the end of the cold war the government declassified informatioon about the secret Congressional bunker at White Sulfer Springs Va. Some secret if it was common knowledge among nearby school boys.

Dauphin · May 5, 2003, 08:26

Quote:

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
After the end of the cold war the government declassified informatioon about the secret Congressional bunker at White Sulfer Springs Va. Some secret if it was common knowledge among nearby school boys.

As has been posted many times before:

Bereta_Eder · May 5, 2003, 08:27

Alexander's Horse · May 5, 2003, 08:30

Man walking on the moon (1969/70, forget which)

Rufus T. Firefly · May 5, 2003, 08:38

Ditto on the 1969 moon landing; I was almost 7 years old, and its a very, very clear memory.

After that, I can hazily remember news discussions of the Christmas bombing of Hanoi (1972) and clearly remember Nixon's televised resignation speech (1974).

Az · May 5, 2003, 08:43

born in late 1984, I am 18.

I remember the Gulf War 1. rather vividly. I remember hearing about the fall of the SU. (

). The Berlin Wall? I don't think so.

Buck Birdseed · May 5, 2003, 08:46

Earliest memory of a historical event was the assassination of Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme in 1986. I was 5 years old. The reason I remember it, of course, is that he was quite a close relative to us and someone from Sotckholm phoned my dad at the Embassy in Budapest (where we lived) and told him. I remember the confusion during the night and that he came and woke me up and told me. As far as I remember, I understood pretty much exactly what had happened.

Internationally, there was Chernobyl less than a month later (remember taking Iodine and drinking strange imported UHT milk, and being taught about radiation).

The only truly historical event I've been to witness first hand were the first democratic elections in Tanzania.

Bereta_Eder · May 5, 2003, 08:49

I quite vividly remember east Berlin. We visited before the wall collapsed. West Berlin = Jungle. East Berlin = Paradise (but they didn't have cokes in restaurants).

I also remember Chernobyl and memebrs of the Communist Party eating vegetables in front of the TV camers to show that "there was no danger from radiation"

rah · May 5, 2003, 09:33

Earliest was the Kennedy election (nuns at are school were estatic about a Catholic president) and subsequent assasination.

Man on the moon.

And all the rest.

RAH

Willem · May 5, 2003, 09:36

I remember man's first steps on the moon. I was at my sister's house visiting and we all huddled around her little black & white TV.

Oh yeah, and I clearly remember the assassinations of both John and Robert Kennedy. Those were traumatic events for alot of people. I don't really recall the Cuban Missile Crisis that well, I guess here in Canada it wasn't as much of a concern. Either that or my parents tried to shield me from it.

And I also remember The Beatles first US performance on the Ed Sullivan show. I was just a wee tyke, but I was mesmorized by the whole thing.

alva · May 5, 2003, 09:39

Man on the moon as I was a full 2 month old..

-
The biggest one must be the berlin wall, anyone went to (abysmall) Pink floyd concert later?
-
Oh, let's not forget OJ

Az · May 5, 2003, 09:40

Quote:

black & white TV.

TVs were segregated then? wow.

Willem · May 5, 2003, 09:52

Quote:

Originally posted by Azazel

Quote:

black & white TV.

TVs were segregated then? wow.

My parents were one of the first in the neighbourhood to get a TV, it was considered a real luxury to own one back then. They were also one of the first to get a colour TV as well. My brother was working at Westinghouse and he was able to get them a discount. They were very expensive then!

Proteus_MST · May 5, 2003, 09:55

Fall of the Berlin Wall (of course, as I am german

)
The destruction of the Challenger (I sat before the TV, it was 18:30 and they brought it in the news)
Tschernobyl (and the hysterie afterwards, which things you still could eat. Especially mushrooms were suspicious. Germany is quite close to the USSSR [and therefore to the radioactive fallout]

)

Of course also Perestroika and Glasnost and the failed coup by Alexandr Lebed and others in 1991 where they tried to topple Gorbachev and reinstate Communism in the USSSR.
Connected with this events (Glasnost and Perestoika) I also remember the End of the cold war.

The Massacre at Tian An Men, Gulfwar 1 and others I remember also

Although I was already well above 5 years old at this time, I don´t remember Viking or John Paul I (Albino Luciano), who was Pope only for a few days (til he died or as some people think, was murdered). But I am no Catholic, so the latter wouldn´t have much impact on my life

Saras · May 5, 2003, 10:17

Quote:

Originally posted by Proteus_MST
Of course also Perestroika and Glasnost and the failed coup by Alexandr Lebed and others in 1991 where they tried to topple Gorbachev and reinstate Communism in the USSSR.

Lebed had nothing to do with the coup.

I remember Chernobyl quite vividly. We actually didn't know about it until 4 days after; in the meantime, we walked under radioactive rain

Proteus_MST · May 5, 2003, 10:26

Quote:

Originally posted by Saras

Lebed had nothing to do with the coup.

Ooops, you are right.

He was on the other side and refused to support the generals who conducted the coup with his own troops (although they asked him to join the coup).

Bugs ****ing Bunny · May 5, 2003, 10:27

Quote:

Originally posted by Osweld
Chernobyl and the Berlin Wall, I was born in 1984.

The Chernobyl meltdown was in 1986. Are you sure you remember it?