Jump to content

What is the first BIG news story you were aware of as a kid?


Casper

Recommended Posts

Wow.  Now, I feel really old.  The earliest news stories I remember are all from the mid- to late-50s and early 60s.  I remember my Dad and Mom being shocked at the Rosa Parks arrest (over refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a white person) and having long conversations about discrimination, segregation and the resulting bus boycott in Montgomery AL...but they were both Canadian so maybe not so surprising.  I remember the desegregation of the public schools in Little Rock, AR, and the National Guard escorting the little bIack girls into the building.  I remember reading about the push into supersonic flight by the X-2 program.  I remember Gary Powers being shot down and captured by the Soviets.  I remember both my parents discussing the political ramifications of the failed Bay of Pigs invasion, and their fears about a nuclear war between the US and the Soviets during the blockade of Cuba in the early 60s.  They were so concerned about what might happen, they seriously considered leaving the US and going back to their families in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Edited by Bubba
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I remember watching John Glenn's space mission on TV with my dad.  Yeah, his 1st time in space.  TV only had 3 channels then and they ALL showed the blast off and splashdown live.

And I remember coming home from school in 2nd grade and mom told me President Kennedy had been shot.

Guess I'm old, huh?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mine would probably be the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan. Just remember my mom crying and asking the TV why do people keep wanting to kill the President and dad telling us at the dinner table about all the evil people in the world. I would have been about 6. 

Edited by 2talltim
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bubba has my list. I go back in time too. One stood out, the news as a kid was constant about fall out shelters and how to "duck and cover". Probably why my generation believes in survival tactics. But the shocker was the Cuban missile crisis, Bay of Pigs and U.S. naval blockade of Cuba. Not everyone realizes just how serious that was. It was the brink of war. As a kid I watched a constant flow of aircraft moving South, rail lines full of armor and artillery, and roads full of tactical convoys. It started with all the B-47s deploying South from Rickenbacker AFB immediately. I watched them go. It never ended, till the situation calmed down. Other than that, the JFK assassination, the invasions of Eastern European nations by the Soviet Union, and the First Man on the Moon. Stepping on the Moon really was an "all of Mankind" thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

51 minutes ago, ReconRat said:

Bubba has my list. I go back in time too. One stood out, the news as a kid was constant about fall out shelters and how to "duck and cover". Probably why my generation believes in survival tactics. But the shocker was the Cuban missile crisis, Bay of Pigs and U.S. naval blockade of Cuba. Not everyone realizes just how serious that was. It was the brink of war. As a kid I watched a constant flow of aircraft moving South, rail lines full of armor and artillery, and roads full of tactical convoys. It started with all the B-47s deploying South from Rickenbacker AFB immediately. I watched them go. It never ended, till the situation calmed down. Other than that, the JFK assassination, the invasions of Eastern European nations by the Soviet Union, and the First Man on the Moon. Stepping on the Moon really was an "all of Mankind" thing.

My wife's uncle was on the heavy cruiser Newport News that was a part of the blockade. The stories that he has told us about whole event are amazing and terrifying. The movie Thirteen Days is about the Cuban missile crisis and is one of my favorites.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 hours ago, vf1000ride said:

I watched the Challenger accident live on TV when in grade school.  They had TV's in all the classrooms due to a teacher going up on it. 

Our school did the same thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/21/2017 at 6:02 PM, 2talltim said:

Mine would probably be the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan. Just remember my mom crying and asking the TV why do people keep wanting to kill the President and dad telling us at the dinner table about all the evil people in the world. I would have been about 6. 

OK, I remember that now. New oldest compared to the Challenger explosion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/21/2017 at 6:02 PM, 2talltim said:

Mine would probably be the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan. Just remember my mom crying and asking the TV why do people keep wanting to kill the President and dad telling us at the dinner table about all the evil people in the world. I would have been about 6. 

This...I just remember it being a big deal but not exactly where I was when I heard it. The next would be the Challenger disaster. I was getting off the school bus and the bus driver told us which was a weird way to find out. I ran in the house and watched the coverage.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...