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Original poster

What were the main events where you know exactly where you were when you heard?

355 replies

BrizzleMint · 17/02/2019 08:36

Mine were the space shuttle explosion, Princess Diana dying and 9/11 plus the explosion at Mill Hill barracks and the Harrods bombing.

I was curious what they were for older/younger people so what events do you really remember.

OP posts:
paddyplaistow · 18/02/2019 04:26

I was working in a chip shop when the news about a car crash in Paris came on the radio. It said that Diana had a broken leg, but was OK. Then Dodi was declared dead..then all quiet. I put the news on at home later and that awful announcement. Watched tv all the next day.
We were stunned.
The day of the funeral, a colleague brought a TV into work so we could watch. Big busy public building, only 9 people came in that day.

Graphista · 18/02/2019 04:59

"Wow Graphista, you have an exceptional memory!" Yea not always a blessing, many things I'd rather forget - I've been told could be related to my OCD. Handy for exams and quizzes though.

Sockwomble · 18/02/2019 06:28

The earliest was the Birmingham pub bombings when I was 5.

HeronLanyon · 18/02/2019 06:37

Princess di.
9/11.
Leonard Cohen dying.
JFK - have sibling born that day.
Ella Fitzgerald dying.
Gazza’s Wonder goal (know this as was day Ella died and partner broke
Foot very badly celebrating that goal.).
Moon landing 1969.

AJPTaylor · 18/02/2019 06:49

I am 50.
John Lennon
Zeebruge
Hillsborough

CuppaTeaAndAJammieDodger · 18/02/2019 07:11

Freddie Mercury
Bowie
Prince
Diana
River Phoenix
Dunblane
9/11
7/7 (on the platform at Liverpool Street after deciding to get off the Aldwych train at the last second to buy a drink - I was very lucky)
Herald of Free Enterprise
Boxing Day Tsunami
1994 LA earthquake (lots of family in LA)

MyNameIsJane · 18/02/2019 07:12

I can’t remember Hillsborough but I can distinctly remember the assembly where my school deputy head called them hooligans and basically repeated the newspaper’s report. I can remember feeling really annoyed that he thought that and that he was wrong.

MaryShelley1818 · 18/02/2019 07:21

Zebrugge
Diana
911

YoureAllABunchOfBastards · 18/02/2019 09:00

Thatcher resigning - I can still hear the gleeful shouts of the Chronicle sellers in Newcastle!

When we sent the first planes into the gulf, a socialist worker type ran in at breakfast in halls of residence and started shouting about it at the top of his voice. I was sitting with my mate who had a dad in the army, was on an MOD scholarship and was a wonderful smart arse, who argued him down. Then another lad I knew, who was doing Politics and was exceptionally clever joined in and socialist worker buggered off. I sat there realising how bleeding clueless I was.

YouSayPotatoesISayVodka · 18/02/2019 09:18

9/11 - in English class

  • my mum was glued to the news when I got in from school that day

7/7- day off work and shuffled downstairs hungover after a lie in, turned on the tv and saw carnage. Got a phone call from my (always overdramatic) sister who kept insisting “she was lucky to be alive because I nearly went into London today!” She’s been dining out on that for years Hmm

Princess Diana- my mum woke me up at the crack of down to tell me. I think it was a Sunday. I was not happy and believe my grumpy response was “I didn’t even know her!”

Boxing Day tsunami- I was at work and if I recall people starting different shifts who must have seen the news mentioned it when they came in. The footage is still harrowing to watch.

I was born when hillsborough happened and several other things from that era but only a baby or very little so wasn’t aware.

malificent7 · 18/02/2019 09:22

Diana and Brexit.

YouSayPotatoesISayVodka · 18/02/2019 09:23

Oh also the Manchester bombing in 2017. I’d moved into my new flat that day and after putting the kids to bed I was knackered so was asleep before 10. Woke up the next day and was heartbroken.

Similar happened less than a month later with grenfell. So many lives lost and for what?

malificent7 · 18/02/2019 09:23

The gulf war WAS a fuck up though right?

Mrsglitterfairy · 18/02/2019 09:28

9/11 - As I came home from school my dad & stepmum we’re glued to the news

7/7 - In work

Manchester arena bombing - saw in on the news as it broke and stayed up watching it all night. In work the next day one of the directors travelled up from London to see us all and it was the saddest atmosphere for days. Doesn’t help that I live round the corner from where the bastard that did it lived so the police helicopters were constantly out and we actually heard them going in properties.

NanooCov · 18/02/2019 17:15

I'm 41 and remember the Herald of Free Enterprise, Piper Alpha, Kurt Cobajn, Diana, 9/11, 7/11, the Boxing Day tsunami mainly.

Redglitter · 18/02/2019 17:23

9/11
Lockerbie
Dunblane
Diana

edgen2019 · 18/02/2019 17:26

I was at a Tupperware Party in 1963 when the news broke to say President John Kennedy had been fatally shot.

Spudlet · 18/02/2019 17:29

9/11 - I was having a nap upstairs because I was shattered, had been running about for days getting ready to leave home and had been shopping that morning with my mum. Then mum called for me to go downstairs and we sat beside each other and watched the tv for goodness knows how long.

Diana - I was in bed having a lie-in and overheard my mum talking to my grandma about it on the phone. I think we must have still had a corded phone in the hall!

David Cameron resigning - I was sitting on the sofa with 6mo DS on my lap, and I cried a bit, not because I was sad to see the back of Cameron but because I was so tired from feeding the boy all night long, and so worried about what all this would mean for his future.

XiCi · 18/02/2019 17:36

The only events I can remember exactly where I was are
John Lennon death
Hillsborough
Start of Gulf War
Princess Diana death
9/11
Manchester Arena bombing

kelper · 18/02/2019 17:37

What a interesting thread.
I remember the Berlin wall coming down, Nelson Mandela being freed (We watched that at primary school) The space shuttle exploding, The Herald of Free Enterprise going over, my best friend ringing me when Kurt Cobain shot himself, of course 9/11 (my teenagers learnt about that at school and were amazed Id watched it on tv) the 7/7 bombings (One of my DHs customers was driving the sprinter van that was a few vehicles in from of the bus)
The boxing day tsunami, Princess Diana (My mum hated her so I didn't get to watch a lot of the outpouring on tv)
It's amazing what stays in your mind and what you suddenly remember reading other posts on here.

MakeAWhish · 18/02/2019 17:37

Thatcher becoming prime minister, Diana dying and 9/11

MakeAWhish · 18/02/2019 17:42

Oh, and the Barcelona terror attack because I was there 😭

LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD · 18/02/2019 17:48

Sadly the most recent ones ‘broke’ late night on here - so I would be lying on the sofa with my nose stuck in the phone.

anniehm · 18/02/2019 17:50

Generally we always seem to be asleep! Well 9/11 was the oddest as the radio alarm clock came on (west coast of USA) and after a few seconds it began to click, the tower was collapsing at that point. I put on the bedroom tv and minutes later the second tower fell. (But in the interim mil phoned to check we were safe despite us being geographically more miles from nyc than she was!) I remember the Columbia and challenger space shuttles, but was in bed for princess di and heard it through the floor from the lady below's loud tv at midnight!

yourfeetstink · 18/02/2019 17:50

Princess Diana
9/11
Loughinisland massacre
George Michael 😪