Life is full of ups and downs, good and bad, happy and sad. Memories are made on a daily basis, but there are certain events that are etched into our minds forever. Hopefully these moments carved into our brains are filled with mostly good times and feelings. The pleasant memories are fun to recall and share. But as we all know, there are times that become heart stoppers, fear-induced memories that we all would love to bury but cannot.
With the 10th anniversary of the horrific events on September 11, 2001, here, I’ve been thinking about the moments in our collective lifetimes that have made our hearts stop, that shake our core, and make not only history and headlines, but also a memory and feeling that are forever burned into our lives. While few, if any, events can even compare to the horror of that day, I wonder if there are any other powerful moments in history that have become a permanent fixture in our memories.
As we remember and honor those who lost their lives this weekend, let’s also remember some other moments in history where it felt like time stood still.
Here are a few events that people shared with me:
“In October 1962 (for 10 Days), the US and Russia were at a standoff – called the US Missile Crisis. We blockaded Cuba from getting supplies. Russian missiles were detected on the island and there was a standoff between President Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev. This was in the throws of the Cold War. We had drills at school in the event of an attack we were taught to duck and tuck under our desks. Walking home there were air-raid sirens going off around town (sort of a fire drill) everyone stopped. We all had bunkers in our basements with supplies to survive a nuclear attack. I think this defined the baby boomer generation.”
John F Kennedy’s assassination – November 22, 1963. “This day affected me very much. I remember being in high school and they announced over the loud speaker that the President had been killed. Everyone was shocked, in disbelief and crying. It was a sad day.”
April 4, 1968 – Martin Luther King assassinated at Lorraine Motel in Memphis. “I was a junior in high school and I was at home doing my homework. I remember the news breaking into whatever show I was also watching to announce his death. It was the beginning of major civil unrest in the US that year. It was sad and very chaotic at the same time.”
July 20, 1969 – Man lands on Moon. Neil Armstrong’s moon steps completed the Kennedy dream to land on the moon in this decade. Everyone watched. “I remember the first moon landing as the whole family gathered around the TV to watch it and my Dad taking a photograph of it with his Polaroid camera! I wonder where that photo is now?”
January 28, 1986 – The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred when Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of its seven-crew members. “I remember the Challenger accident. As I was watching, I was thinking how exciting it was to think teachers could go into space! And then when it exploded, I thought, ‘Was that supposed to happen?’ And then in that same instant thinking, ‘Oh God, that wasn’t supposed to happen!’ ”
Pan Am Flight 103 bombing – December 1988. “For some reason this crash that was caused by a bomb and killed 243 passengers, 16 crew members and 11 people on the ground, stayed with me for a long time. I had a friend at the time who was doing a semester in London, and I was worried she was on that fight. She wasn’t. But the idea that a bomb could be on a plane was very scary and think it’s why it affected me so much.”
Today, with the advent of around the clock coverage not only on TV and radio, but also online, it’s hard to avoid news when something (good or bad) happens. How many times did you see that image of the Towers collapsing?
What other moments in history stood out in your time as an event – that was not so good – that made your heart stand still. Share your memories below, whether of that infamous day in September almost 10 years ago, or another moment in history that you remember vividly.
Sandi Duncan is the Managing Editor of the Farmers' Almanac. 
If you notice a hole in the upper left-hand corner of your Farmers' Almanac, don't return it to the store! That hole isn't a defect; it's a part of history. Starting with the first edition of the Farmers' Almanac in 1818, readers used to nail holes into the corners to hang it up in their homes, barns, and outhouses (to provide both reading material and toilet paper). In 1910, the Almanac's publishers began pre-drilling holes in the corners to make it even easier for readers to keep all of that invaluable information (and paper) handy.
3 comments
In a world of 24/7 news and cameras in every hand, there is one thing about the John Kennedy assassination that made it stop the world. Prior to November 22, 1963, the Nightly News ran 15 minutes. The moment Kennedy was shot, all networks switched to 5 full days of news covereage – no regular shows and no commercials. Thereafter, televison’s ability to cover critical events changed forever.
Both space shuttle explosions. 1985 and 2003
The death of John Lennon on Mon., Dec. 8, 1980, and the passing of George Harrison on Nov. 29, 2001. I am The Beatles #1 loyal fan of 47 yrs.
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