What is the first news story you remember?

[AmbsPhillps]

I think for me it was the 1999 champions league final

The murder of Jamie Bulger.

This was the one that I really remember too. I was only 11 and remember thinking I was not much older than the boys themselves. I remember being shocked that really bad things happened to children, by children. It still shocks me now to be fair.

Re: the Profumo affair. I was about 10 at the time, and the teacher I had had this horrible filler activity that consisted of giving a random child an old telephone. The victim had to pretend to be someone of note and the teacher would then conduct an 'interview' while the child spoke the answers into the phone. The girl next to me couldn't think who to be; I suggested Christine Keeler. The teacher looked horrified, then said: 'Oh no! You can be Princess Anne'.

Falklands War
Miners strike
Bucks Fizz coach crash

Mine is Zeebrugge like many others. I remember my mum talking about it in her sleep, must have affected her. I read about it today as couldn't remember the details... such a pointless and avoidable waste of life.

The Ethiopian famine of 1984. I was six and I can remember that Michael Buerk report like it was yesterday... 😭

The murder of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman was the first news story that I remember really grabbing my attention. I can remember that whole summer very well. I'd have been 10 at the time - the same age as the girls and I remember being absolutely horrified by it. Weirdly I don't recall anything from 9/11 which was only the year before.

I'm preeeetty sure I can remember the Sunday morning Diana died but I only remember the reaction of my parents, not the news at the time. I think that's actually one of my first memories - I'd have been 5 1/2 then.

The Apollo moon landings. I don't think anyone born since realises just how exciting they were to watch.

I remember many more news stories, but none stand out as much as Dunblane and the Princess of Wales dying. Dunblane was so upsetting for me with my DS just starting school at the same time, I remember all us parents waiting for our children thinking of the parents that would never be able to do the same for their children. The singular thing about Diana was those poor, devatasted boys walking behind her coffin. Why they thought that would be a good idea baffles me.

The raising of the Mary Rose. I remember watching it live on TV, me playing with my Lego while my mother stood and ironed in front of the TV.

Other than that, I can only remember the Falklands War and Miners Strike well from early childhood.

devastated

@CaptainMyCaptain

I am a great grandmother but prefer this site much better than Gransnet
It keeps me young!

The terrible events at the Munich Olympics in 1972

but all this too :
I remember strikes and 3 day week in the 1970s
Princess Anne's first marriage
Murder of paper boy Carl Bridgewater
Disappearance of Jeanette Tate
Kidnapping of Lesley Whittle
IRA pub bombings

There are a lot of young whipper snappers on this thread

The Rwandan genocide. It was frequently on the news and I remember thinking each time "what on Earth are Tutsis and Hutus?"

The Gulf War

No actually I do remember the Ethiopian famine.

The death of Winston Churchill (OMG ... I feel really old now!)

[quote nildesparandum]@CaptainMyCaptain

I am a great grandmother but prefer this site much better than Gransnet
It keeps me young![/quote]
I'm with you there.

Lord Mountbatten being killed. My DM and DGM broke their hearts

Margaret Thatcher resigning. My primary school teacher burst into class delighted telling us all about it and I remember it as clear as day.
I looked up the date years later and and I was 7 at the time.

Munich Olympics here too, I was six and confused by what gorillas (guerrillas) were doing.

It annoys me tremendously when I hear about teachers taking their politics to work. It's wholly inappropriate.

A tv news report about guerrilla warfare, in the Middle East I think. I remember watching the screen thinking where are all the gorillas?! I was about 4-5.

Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. I remember the picture in all the papers of them with their matching Man United football tops.

@OverItAndTired
My mother's partner died on that flight. He wasn't even supposed to be on it - she dropped him at the airport early as they'd been arguing so he didn't hang around & got on the next available flight. We were watching the news when it came on. She then had to drive up to Coventry and sort all the stuff out. She has never had a proper relationship since then. So a news story that really affected us.
Other than that, the 1976 drought - I was 4 & remember the standpipes.

Zeebrugge ferry disaster

Murder of Sarah Harper. We had the same name and were the same age. It was the start of my understanding that bad things did happen to little girls 😢