What is the biggest media event you can remember from your childhood??

[K1092902]

Mine is the death of the Princess of Wales. I was 12 at the time- Mum came and woke me and my sister up (much to her annoyance as she had been on a night out the night before) and told us it was important we watched as it was a huge deal. I can still remember sitting there that morning watching the news coverage. The next day mum took us to London for the day and we went to put flowers outside Kensington palace.

I didn't get it at the time but I was the same age as harry and honestly can't imagine having to live through my teens, getting married and having DD without my mum by my side never mind dealing with the pressure of royal life..

John Lennons murder. I remember there was an emergency bulletin which was rare at the time and my parents were stunned

John Lennon being shot - I was 10 also the jubilee in 77 they are the earliest

I vividly remember the challenger space shuttle explosion 1986 - I was listening to music with newsround on silent and I thought nuclear war had broken out - scared me shitless - it was very sad

Death of princess Diana and 9/11

Prince Charles's investiture in 1969. We watched it at primary school.

Andrew and Fergie's wedding and Tommy Cooper dying particularly stick out.

I was also 12 when Princess Diana died, and I'd had two friends sleep over the night before. I remember my brother telling me in the morning.

Princess Diana getting married. I was a bridesmaid in the August, so I was really interested in it. I thought she was beautiful, like a princess should be.
I remember the police woman being shot and the shot dead horses, in the street. The dead police horse and the abandoned police woman's hat.

I am older than most of you.

Winston Churchill's funeral, the Aberfan disaster - I was 7 at the time (the same age as many of the children who died), the moon landings and the investiture of the Prince of Wales.

We didn't have a TV at the time, but I remember my mum taking us to my auntie's house to watch Churchill's funeral procession. My dad went up to town to join the people lining the streets

Oh yeah Challenger too

Michael Burkes initial coverage of the famine in Ethopia (1984) - we just sat in front of the tv, my mum was crying. Then it was all anyone talked about in school, everyone I knew was raising money, then there was Live Aid.

Zeebrugge sinking
Explosion of Challenger space shuttle
Piper Alpha disaster
Lockerbie disaster
Hillsborough disaster
Murder of James Bulger
Rachel Nickell
OJ Simpson

Nothing cheery there, eh?

And one of my very earliest memories was, at age 3, my mum telling me about a "very pretty lady actress" who had just drowned in a boat accident (I assume Natalie Wood?)

The kidnapping of Abbie Humphries and her subsequent return in 1994-I was 10 and it really stuck with me
Princess Diana's death
9/11
Jessica Wells and Holly Chapman- it wasn't so far from where I grew up. Such an awful, awful case.

Silver jubilee then Margaret Thatcher becoming first woman prime minister

The fall of the Berlin Wall, bits of the Gulf War, bits of George HW Bush's presidency.

The death of Princess Diana I remember very distinctly, I even remember how I was dressed when I heard the news, but by then I was quite a bit older.

I was born in 1970. I remember when Elvis died. There was a huge fuss.

I can clearly remember the Bradford City Fire, Herald of Free Enterprise, Kings Cross Fire and Hillsborough. They all happened within a few years of each other. Shocking events that had an impact on the public even before the 24 hour rolling news coverage.

Forgot about Lockerbie and Challenger. I remember to this day where I was when Freddie Mercury died. First year at Sixth Form and it came on the radio in the common room. Everybody just stopped and couldn't really believe it. I think we mostly knew he'd been ill but didn't know how bad it was.

Disappearance of Ben Needham
Fergie and Andrews wedding (too young to remember Charles and Di)

Aberfan , Lockerbie and Dunblane

I remember the Iranian Embassy siege on TV. I had no clue what it was all about and was very bored but my Dad was glued to it and we ended up staying at my Nan's house til late while he watched it.

I also remember Charles and Diana's wedding. We made a cake which I (for reasons I cannot remember) decorated as the face of Prince Charles. Complete with candied orange segments for ears!

Zeebrugge tragedy.

My step father worked for Townsend Thoreson and was at sea at the time on a different ship.

Then, I think James Bulgar and Dunblane stick in my memory.

9/11.

I don't remember how old I was but we were taken into the hall and told as a school that something very bad had happened. I don't remember how much we were told, but obviously not much. I think the yr6 students probably got told more.

The death of Elvis Presley. This may seem odd to those born after 1980, but alongside Muhammed Ali, Elvis was undoubtedly the biggest celebrity in the world in 1977.

Michael Burkes initial coverage of the famine in Ethopia (1984) - we just sat in front of the tv, my mum was crying

I was in primary 2, I remember my school having a collection.

The Gulf War, The Berlin Wall and Terry Waite's capture and release were other ones.