The Berlin Wall. Oddly, I was too young to understand what was going on, but I remember my parents were watching it. I remember telling myself, "I don't know what this is, but I should watch it because it seems really important."
I also remember seeing (and crying at) the Christmas commercials from military men & women when I was really small, as well as lots of things from the Gulf War.
The 1984 presidential election. We had a straw poll at school, and I was the only kid to vote for Mondale over Reagan, a choice I made solely because his running mate was female. I was such a budding feminist . I also remember the Challenger. I was born in 1977.
I strongly remember the OJ Simpson trial, I swear it was on every channel that summer. But I have impressions of the Kerrigan/Harding thing, which was the year before.
Post by daisypaloma on Mar 6, 2014 15:53:43 GMT -5
I'm 42.
I grew up outside of the country and I never really paid attention to news. But I believe Princess Di's wedding (1981) was a big deal.
I also remember Pope John Paul II (1978) being a big deal; but I'm not sure if I knew\heard of it at the time or the news just went on and on and on for years around my neighborhood, which is predominantly Catholic.
I strongly remember the OJ Simpson trial, I swear it was on every channel that summer. But I have impressions of the Kerrigan/Harding thing, which was the year before.
I remember this all vividly. The Harding/Kerrigan conflict was leading up to the 1994 winter Olympics, which were when I was in fourth grade. Then a few months later was the big O.J. Simpson police chase in his white Bronco. I know that happened at the start of summer vacation. My parents had the news on for the whole thing, and I was out on our back deck in my Rollerblades. Every few laps I'd stop and peek in the family room window to see if the chase was still going on.
I also clearly remember the freeing of Nelson Mandela, Richard Nixon's death, Hurricane Andrew, and other world events that Scholastic magazine covered.
I vaguely remember the challenger, but remember Reagan being shot a bit better. I def remember the OJ trial, Rodney king riots, and the big loma prieta earthquake we had in my area during the world series.
i remember when princess diana died, the gulf war and selling girl scout cookies, nancy kerrigan/tonya harding thing, OJ thing, blizzard of 96, but that's about it, i think. i don't remember the berlin wall even.
I don't know if I actually remember the Challenger, or if I just think I do, and my memory has been altered by media images of little children watching the explosion in classrooms. I think I sort of do.
Otherwise, I feel like I definitely remember Halley's Comet. I didn't see it, but I remember all the excitement around it. I remember being sad that I didn't actually see it, and noting that I would be 81 the next time it came around.
I have zero memories of the '84 Olympics, but I do remember a minor obsession with Mary Lou Retton (Get in Shape Girl!) I have really strong memories of the '88 Olympics since I was living in Canada - our school did all kinds of Olympic activities, we even got to try curling. I was also WAY into figure skating at that age, and was taking lessons. I was pretty sure I was going to be the next Liz Manley.
We didn't have a tv until I was around 7 (my mom was on some kind of no tv kick) so I feel like even though I have a ton of memories from about the age of four onward, public events do not figure prominently into them. I remember the first Bush election but I was in the second grade and we had tv then and I remember the Berlin Wall. I don't have any memory of the Challenger and I always feel weird about it because most people my age do.
Post by Miss Phryne Fisher on Mar 6, 2014 17:08:07 GMT -5
Challenger. I watched it live. I lived on the west coast of Florida basically right across the state from Cape Canaveral and you can see the shuttle launch from there. I was sick home with my grandma. We went outside to watch the launch, and saw it explode. We didn't know what was going on. Half the neighborhood was outside watching...I ran in and remember seeing them replay it over and over. It was devastating to me.
I can't think of anything before the Gulf War. I was eight when it started. :-# Not great on the awareness front LOL.
I vaguely remember a poll in my kindergarten class for the '88 election, but I couldn't have told you off the top of my head who ran against Bush, so I'm not sure I remember it that well.
I know, right? I keep thinking there is something obvious that I am missing.
Out of curiosity I looked through a Wiki article on the 1990's. There really wasn't much happening from 1990 to 1995. I do remember the Quebec referendum that happened in 1995, but that was a few months after the OKC bombings.
These threads make me feel old. I have a terrible memory but I freaking voted in the Quebec referendum, lol.