What were you doing ?

[Pakey]

JFK-in school. Classes were immediately cancelled. I remember my younger brother and I having to walk home from a different bus stop and my mom was crying when we walked into the house.

MLK-he was almost unknown in CA.

Apollo-we were all gathered as a family watching.

Challenger-at work. I left and drove to my grandmothers because she lived closest to where I worked. I watched 20 minutes of TV coverage and returned to work.

9/11-at work. Several of us in management sat most of the day in the employee training room watching on the TV in there.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

First one I was alive for in your list was Challenger. I was sitting in study hall, room 9, back row center, reading The Snows of Killamanjaro. Our principal came on saying there was news of national importance he had to share. I'd had to do the ask-your-parents-where-they-were-when-Kennedy-was shot-assignement many times. My immediate thought was years from then, my kids would be later asking me where I was when ___ happened. (I actually thought they were going to say Regan had been shot again.)

Not on your list, but I was in 4th grade when Regan was shot. There were moms there picking up kids after school and they were talking quietly amongst themselves. I overheard that someone was shot and they were bringing him up the road. I was thinking more local and thought someone had been shot in our town, and brought "up the road" to the church. (No concept of there needing to be some time before a funeral, shot/dead/funeral all in one there, I guess.)

 

[MichelleinMaine]

One note mentioned is when the Berlin wall came down in 89. My folks sat me down and made me watch it.

I had left Germany not long before the fall of the wall- went to college in CT. I was walking by the dorm living room when the news came on. One of the guys saw me and said I had to come in and see the news because the wall had fallen. I laughed at him and said yeah right. He insisted I watch and see he wasn't kidding.

 

[Janepod]

I had left Germany not long before the fall of the wall- went to college in CT. I was walking by the dorm living room when the news came on. One of the guys saw me and said I had to come in and see the news because the wall had fallen. I laughed at him and said yeah right. He insisted I watch and see he wasn't kidding.

So funny! I was in college then too. One of our housemates, who was in fact in the School of Foreign Service and very full of herself as far as her level of sophistication, mastery of foreign languages, etc., had disappeared for two or three days on a cocaine bender (1980s...) When she reappeared to ask what she missed, "nothing much - oh yeah, Berlin wall came down" she didn't believe us for about a day or so.

 

[nchulka]

First one I was alive for was the challenger explosion. I was in 3rd grade and knew nothing of the flight prior to the crash. They announced it on the intercom and I watched the news coverage of it that night. I remember feeling very sorry for the teachers children.

9/11 I was 3 months pregnant and we had come home late from a vacation the night before. I was sleeping in. I woke up to the phone ringing and my DH's first words were "turn on the TV" I knew something very bad had happened. In the 5 seconds it took to find the remote and switch on the TV he quickly said that planes had hit both towers of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and one tower had already fallen. Considering I had been sound asleep 20 seconds earlier I was totally shocked and confused and the first thing that went through my head as a child growing up in the 80's was that we were being attacked by Russia! I quickly woke up, and caught up to what was really going on. Within 5 minutes time I saw the second tower fall. It was very sad and completely unreal.

 

[brockash]

Nov 22, 1963 JFK Assassination http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_John_F._Kennedy ?
[/

Born in 81, so not alive.


April 4, 1968 Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Martin_Luther_King,_Jr.


still not alive



July 20, 1969 Apollo 11,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_11

not alive

January 28, 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Challenger_disaster

I was 5, but I do vaguely remember it on the news.


Tuesday, September 11, 2001, September 11 attacks http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11_attacks



I was 19, newly married, pregnant, and had just moved across the country away from my family (DH in the army.) I had just got done taking a typing test for a job when the second plane hit. When I got home, my DH was there getting and packing up all his gear, as they started patrolling the entire base (6hrs. on 4 hrs. off 6 hrs. on.) Before 9/11, the base was "open", and you didn't have to stop and show your id etc., for about 2 weeks, getting on base was a 2 hrish process, because of all the traffic and everyone having to stop and all the training going on etc. Needless to say, I didn't see much of my DH for the first couple weeks. I also remember it was a Tuesday.

All my answers in red.

 

[Colleen27]

This thread reminds me:

I remember once when I was a little girl - it was probably around 1973-1975 and if I remember correctly, it was fairly warm outside (in Michigan)- I came home from school and my mom said "Try to remember this day when you're older." I'm sure she said more, though I don't know what now. I think she was watching the news.

Can't figure out what it was, though. Why I was supposed to remember that day.

The fall of Saigon, maybe? IIRC that was spring of '75, though our involvement in the war was mostly done with by then.

 

[Colleen27]

The Challenger was the first one I was alive for, and we watched the launch live in my 3rd grade class. That's one of very few clear memories I have from elem school. The school district still hasn't lifted the resulting ban on using live broadcasts in the classroom.

9/11 I was home with a 3yo and 3 week old, and it was DH's day off. I had no idea anything had happened until I ran to the grocery store because we had a video on for DS instead of TV that morning. That was between the first and second planes, and I remember very clearly thinking it had to be a "War of the Worlds" type joke because it obviously wasn't possible in reality.

 

[Sgt Mickey]

Nov 22, 1963 JFK Assassination http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_John_F._Kennedy ?
[/B]

Not born.


April 4, 1968 Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Martin_Luther_King,_Jr.

Not born.

July 20, 1969 Apollo 11,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_11[/B]
Not born
January 28, 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Challenger_disaster

School??


Tuesday, September 11, 2001, September 11 attacks http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11_attacks



We haad just moved to Guam. I had just got out of the AF after having my twins. My dh was still in and it was really early in the morning there. He was recalled into work. I turned on the tv to see what was going on because we had been sleeping and didn't know anything. We had just came from NY from leave before we moved I had family there. I didn't know what to even do I couldn't go back to sleep I stayed awake glued to the tv.

 

[Sgt Mickey]

[

Tuesday, September 11, 2001, September 11 attacks http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11_attacks



Evacuating from the 70th floor of Tower 2. I owe my life to Rick Rescorla. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Rescorla

wow.

 

[lizabu]

I wasn't born yet for the first 3 but for Challenger I was in the 6th grade and I came home for lunch. I was eating macaroni and cheese when the Flinstones was interrupted by a live news report. I watched the challenger explode on TV. I don't think I fully understood what happened. I went back to school that afternoon and told my teacher. She got really mad and told me it wasn't true. The next day once she saw it was true she talked about it with the class. I guess she had been following it so closely because of the school teacher on board.

9/11 I was watchin GMA and nursing my DD who was only 2 months old at the time. I saw as they cut to what was happening. At first they thought it was ahorrible accident but when the 2nd plane hit they started saying maybe we are under attack. I was really scared and I started crying. Everyone in my neighbourhood went and got their kids from school and brought the home because no one knew if we were at war or what was happening.

 

[My2Qtz0205]

Tuesday, September 11, 2001, September 11 attacks http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11_attacks


Evacuating from the 70th floor of Tower 2. I owe my life to Rick Rescorla. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Rescorla

That made me cry. Glad you made it out.

 

[laughinplace199]

Nov 22, 1963 JFK Assassination http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_John_F._Kennedy ?


I was in baby heaven, or wherever.


April 4, 1968 Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Martin_Luther_King,_Jr.

In utero.


July 20, 1969 Apollo 11,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_11

I know my mom held me up to the TV, then took me outside to look at the moon, but I was too young to remember.

January 28, 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Challenger_disaster

Studying for a final (our school gave us off for study days) at home, on the phone with a friend, and listening to the radio. We were speechless.

Tuesday, September 11, 2001, September 11 attacks http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11_attacks



Evacuating from the 70th floor of Tower 2. I owe my life to Rick Rescorla. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Rescorla

Wow. I just looked him up. What an amazing man - a true hero.

 

[indimom]

I wasn't alive for the first three (born in 72).
I walked into junior high english and a friend announced that the Challenger had exploded on takeoff. We were shocked. The teacher turned on the news and we watched for the rest of the class.
On 9/11, I was working at a day care, on the playground, with the preschool class. When the baby room teacher yelled out an open window that a plane had hit the trade center, I didn't think anything of it, I thought it was a small plane, an accident. Until, a few minutes later, when she yelled out about the second plane hitting, then it became very clear.
That was the end of any "out loud" discussion of the incidents, when we realized this was something huge and could frighten the kids.
We didn't have access to television or the internet, so the radio was our source of the news for the rest of the day. As each development occurred or new information came out, it would pass down the hallway in whispers, from doorway to doorway, teacher to teacher. It was very surreal.

 

[Nayan]

Challenger: I was home sick from school that day. I also live just south of KSC, so every launch that I could I'd run outside to watch. It was bitter cold that day, I think it was about 28-30 degrees so I bundled up and headed outside to watch it. As it exploded I felt like the most helpless person. I knew they were in trouble and couldn't do anything to help. I cried the rest of the day.

9/11: My husband, son and I were all sick. My husband decided that he wanted to go surfing and being outside would help, so he grabbed his surfboard and got in the truck to leave. Inside, my son and I were watching cartoons on Nick. My husband forgot his wallet and when he came in he told me that Howard Stern said a plane hit one of the towers. I just switched over in time to see the second plane hit. I sat numb, glued to the news all day.

 

[laughinplace199]

Nov 22, 1963 JFK Assassination http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_John_F._Kennedy ?


Wasn't born yet.


April 4, 1968 Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Martin_Luther_King,_Jr.

Wasn't born yet.


July 20, 1969 Apollo 11,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_11

I have no idea - I was an infant then.

January 28, 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Challenger_disaster

I was home sick from school, lying on the couch watching TV. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Tuesday, September 11, 2001, September 11 attacks http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11_attacks


I was driving with my 2 kids (ages 3 and newborn at the time) to a playgroup at a friend's house in Boston. My car radio was broken, so I had no idea that anything was happening. When I got to my friend's house, I found out what had happened. We watched everything on TV for a while, but then decided to cut the morning short and go home. I remember wondering, as I was driving home, if anything else was going to happen.

Such a sad, scary day.

 

[My2Qtz0205]

I was born in '76 also.

Challenger: I came home from school and my mom had the footage playing on the TV. We usually watched launches live on TV at school, but for some reason we hadn't watched this one.

9/11: I was at work. I was testing a prospective student, so she and her mom were the only ones in the building with me. My husband called to tell me. I didn't have any idea what the WTC looked like, frankly, so I had no frame of reference. We, too, thought it must have been a small plane and that it was an accident. DH called back after the second plane hit. I had no TV, so I snuck on to the Internet when I could. After the Pentagon was hit, there was real panic. We lived in No. VA, and I had just left my job at a school outside Arlington that June. Many of my students had parents who worked at the Pentagon. For days afterward I scanned the papers for the list of the dead, praying I didn't see anyone I recognized. When we heard there was another plane missing, rumors started flying that it could be headed for the FAA headquarters in our town (why? I don't know. Like I said, panic.). We lived a few miles north of Dulles Airport, where flight 77 originated. We worried about a church member that was a pilot there (ends up he worked for American, not United). I remember how eerily quiet the skies were in the following days.

 

[Topper]

JFK- I was breastfeeding.

MLK assassination- I was six and living in NC. I remember my parents and their friends talking about it.

Apollo 11- - Woohoo! Got to stay up all night! Possibly the greatest achievement in human history.

Challenger disaster- I was working in Ft. Pierce, FL. Returning from lunch I heard the news, and went outside to see this:

9/11 terrorist attacks- I had the flu and called in sick. I woke up with a fever and turned on the television. The first tower had been hit and I thought I was watching a movie. When the second plane hit and the newcasters went ballistic, I knew the world had just changed, and not for the better.

 

[Shmily1]

Nov 22, 1963 JFK Assassination http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_John_F._Kennedy ?


Not born yet

April 4, 1968 Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Martin_Luther_King,_Jr.

Only three months old... no idea.

July 20, 1969 Apollo 11,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_11

I was 1 so probably playing or chewing on something.January 28, 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Challenger_disaster

I believe I was at school. It was my senior year and I remember thinking that was a mass death and so sad.
Tuesday, September 11, 2001, September 11 attacks http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11_attacks



I was at work. My immediate supervisor was off that day and had called to tell us she saw it on tv. We started fining it on the internet and to keep us off the internet, they took us all (that wanted to go) to a conference room and started streaming live tv coverage there. It seemed like we watched for hours as we silently cried. I remember calling DH who was out working and he came up there with me for a while.

Janepod, what an awesome way to remember an otherwise bad day.

 

[luvsJack]

JFK--I was with my mom and dad in the car. They heard the news as we were backing out of the driveway headed to my 6 week old check up. (I don't actually remember this but my dad told me several times)

MLK--I was 5 but I don't remember.

Apollo 11--watched it at my aunt and uncle's house. didn't really understand the magnitude of what was going on.

Challenger--I was at work but saw it that evening on the news.

9/11--at work again, running a day care. Several of our childen had military parents. One of the moms came in the center in a full blown panic! All we could get from her was "they are flying planes into buildings". We turned on the radio and listened to it all.


Other "days I remember where I was" were -- Columbine-got off early that day and came in the house turning on the news and watched it all unfold. It was so hard not to go to the high school and bring my kids home, I just wanted to hug them so bad.

Elvis' death--in the mountains on vacation. Mom heard it on the radio and told me.