You Know You Are Old When

[Alan46]

If we’re talking live I remember, Lee Harvey Oswald being killed live! Born in 46.

 

[masseyrider]

We all know where we were when 9/11 happened, and probably Challenger... maybe even Columbia. Same with Waco, and at least for those of us anywhere near Philly, The Move. Many here are old enough to remember the assassinations of Kennedy and MLK Jr.

My earliest memory of a major news event was the death of Elvis in 1977, mostly because that breaking news interrupted whatever cartoon I was watching, and I remember my mother (prime age to be an Elvis fan) shushing me to hear the news on the TV.

I guess I should remember the John Lennon assassination, but since my parents were too old to be into the Beatles, that one didn't even get honorable mention in our house. The Ronald Reagan assassination attempt was much bigger news, at least in our house.

What's the earliest major news event you remember experiencing, live? Anyone here old enough to remember FDR dying in office? Harding? VE or VJ day?

9/11 I was just getting ready to roast 10 bushels of red peppers. It came on the radio. Most of the day was in front of the tube.
Beautiful fall day, blue sky, some fluffy white clouds.
I remember the shuttles and Waco.
Edges of memory are Robert Kennedy and MLK Jr.
We skipped school and got drunk listening to records the day Lennon died.
Elvis was a sort of non event.
I remember the body counts from Vietnam every night on the news.
I remember All in the Family being controversial. Laugh In was my favorite.
My parents friends son went to Woodstock. He was only about 6-7 years older and I was envious.
He had a wanderlust, hitch hiking across Canada and US when he was 15-16. You could do that then.
I remember getting indoor plumbing and then hot water a couple years later. You'd be some sort of back woods Hillbilly now.
I remember both radio and TV going off the air after 11pm-12am.
VHF was new.
Me and Opie are about the same age.

 

[Alan46]

Where's the beef?

That ad came out in 1984! I Just asked Siri!

 

[Jstpssng]

We all know where we were when 9/11 happened, and probably Challenger... maybe even Columbia. Same with Waco, and at least for those of us anywhere near Philly, The Move. Many here are old enough to remember the assassinations of Kennedy and MLK Jr.

My earliest memory of a major news event was the death of Elvis in 1977, mostly because that breaking news interrupted whatever cartoon I was watching, and I remember my mother (prime age to be an Elvis fan) shushing me to hear the news on the TV.

I guess I should remember the John Lennon assassination, but since my parents were too old to be into the Beatles, that one didn't even get honorable mention in our house. The Ronald Reagan assassination attempt was much bigger news, at least in our house.

What's the earliest major news event you remember experiencing, live? Anyone here old enough to remember FDR dying in office? Harding? VE or VJ day?

I remember watching JFK's funeral on TV. When I asked my mother what was going on she said "A great man has died." Talk about a gross understatement. I was almost 5 at the time. A couple of weeks before that my aunt and uncle were killed in a car crash. Nov 1963 was not a good month in my family.
In 1980 I was jumping into a coworkers car on Sunday night, we would head north and work in a remote camp until Thursday night.
Lennon was killed on a Monday. We didn't know about it until we headed home 3 days later. Blake had the radio on when they started talking about having a tribute to him... we looked at each other and said "WTF?"

In 2001 I was working in upstate NY, using a handheld GPS and hip chain to help me navigate. I
One day I was about 1000 ft off. HUH? Usually I could compass and pace within a hundred feet. I got back to the truck around 5:00 and was trying to decide if I wanted to work a bit longer or head for the motel. When I heard what had happened on the radio it was old news to everyone else, so I had some catching up to do.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Truman was president when I was born!

 

[garry1p]

I was in the USAF stationed in Biloxi, MS during the Cuban crisis (Oct 1962) From dusk to dawn military vehicles heading to FL on US 90 and very few during daylight hours.

FDR was president when I was born.

 

[WinterDeere]

I was in the USAF stationed in Biloxi, MS during the Cuban crisis (Oct 1962) From dusk to dawn military vehicles heading to FL on US 90 and very few during daylight hours.

FDR was president when I was born.

That reminds me, the guy I was hired to replace as technical director at my prior company, was a USAF bomb and missile tech during the Cuban missile crisis. He had some interesting stories of loading planes with various ordinances during that week, first removing the nukes to load conventional weapons, and then later removing those conventional weapons to reload the nukes. Things apparently got pretty hectic on base, and he almost overturned a forklift carrying a rack of bombs or missiles, at one point in the midst of it all. Said he spent that whole week just trying not to crap in his pants every 5 minutes.

 

[drssg]

View attachment 855881

Those stick with me just fine, but I can't remember my blood type.

 

[MoKelly]

I remember the day JFK was killed.

My Mom took us kids (me and 2 sisters) in a room and told us the news. She was crying. It’s the first time I remember my Mom crying.

It made a huge impression. I will never forget that day.

 

[bigtiller]

The way my parents were acting made me a little nervous during the Cuban Missile crisis in '62