My good friend Andrew over at American Idle, listed a number of high profile current events that happened over the last two decades and documented where he was when he learnt about each. I’m amazed that while I can be so forgetful at times, I remembered where I was for most of these events.
Capture of Saddam - my apartment, Chicago, IL Death of Princess Di - my apartment, Chicago, IL OJ Verdict - restaurant downtown with a client, Chicago, IL OJ in Trouble (car chase) - at some awful play about JFK with best guy friend, Chicago, IL Start of the Gulf War I - dorm room, on phone with my friend James, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI Start of the Gulf War II - my apartment, Chicago, IL Death of King Hussein - can't remember WTC Attack - LexisNexis office, LaSalle Bank Building, Chicago, IL Kirk Gibson Home Run - huh? Loma Prieta Earthquake (SF Quake '89) - can't remember, probably dorm room at Michigan Challenger Disaster - J E Burke High School, walking from gym to accounting class, Boston, MA
So my friends, where were you?
Capture of Saddam - sleep in my house, Phila, PA
Death of Princess Di - home, Phila, PA
OJ Verdict - no clue..probably at PECO, Phila, PA
OJ in Trouble (car chase) - at home laughing at the shit, Phila PA
Start of the Gulf War I - Temple U, Phila, PA
Start of the Gulf War II - not sure
Death of King Hussein - can't remember
WTC Attack - home, Phila, PA
Kirk Gibson Home Run - huh? who?
Loma Prieta Earthquake (SF Quake '89) - no clue
Challenger Disaster - american history class, HSIA, Phila, PA
adding a couple of my own:
JFK, Jr plane crash - sleep at home, Phila, PA
Assassination attempt on Reagan - after school event, Greenfield Elementary, Phila, PA
Oklahoma Bombing - work, Phila, PA
Waco - don't remember
(those 2 kids shooting up their school..where was that) - work, Phila, PA
i was in 3rd grade watching the challenger explode on TV; as there was a teacher (the woman) from the south side where we grew up, we were all excited & watching. it was surreal seeing it explode & only just barely grasping what went wrong. i remember our teacher getting so upset & turning off the tv & trying to convey what had happenned.
when the columbia exploded earlier this year, i was now grown up; working in fort worth TX for the week, on a saturday morning before we left to come home. we got our breakfast at about the time the shuttle exploded above us. we walked into the building & by the time we loaded up CNN, we knew. then, the phone calls from home started & we couldn't believe what had happened in the skies above us....
Capture of Saddam - Waking up at hotel room in Vegas
Death of Princess Di - Bar Mitzvah in OH
OJ Verdict - around a radio at work...went to meet you in said restaurant soon after.
OJ in Trouble (car chase) - at a pretty good play about JFK with best female (non-girl)friend, Chicago, IL
Start of the Gulf War I - dorm room, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Start of the Gulf War II - my apartment, Chicago, IL
Death of King Hussein - don't know
WTC Attack - Apartment in MI. I was watching Tivo for an hour before finding out by logging into AOL.
Kirk Gibson Home Run - wasn't watching (it was a big thing in LA)
Loma Prieta Earthquake (SF Quake '89) - don't remember.
Challenger Disaster - Southfield-Lathrup High School, waiting for debate class to start.
Also...
Reagan shot - waiting for the afternoon bus home at Stevenson Elementary in Southfield, MI.
Survivor 1 Finale - in bar in Detroit, trying to win a trip to chicago by eating dog food (not my best moment).
Capture of Saddam - My room, TX
Death of Princess Di - My apartment, Seattle
OJ Verdict - My apartment, Seattle
OJ in Trouble (car chase) - My apartment, Seattle
Start of the Gulf War I - Just getting out of the Army...outprocessing station, Fort Dix, NJ
Start of the Gulf War II - My apartment, Seattle after just getting laid off 2 days prior.
Death of King Hussein - Don't know
WTC Attack - On the bus on the way to work...bus driver said over intercom: "The Twin Towers are on fire and the Pentagon is on fire". By the time I got to work, I knew something horrible was happening but still didn't know exactly what. Came home from work early that day and watched the news non-stop for hours.
Kirk Gibson Home Run - Who?
Loma Prieta Earthquake (SF Quake '89) - Somewhere in Seattle
Challenger Disaster - History class, Junior in H.S. with a teacher we all hated who said he applied to be on that shuttle.
Capture of Saddam - my apartment, Boston
Death of Princess Di - my girlfriend's apartment, Naples, Italy
OJ Verdict - driving away from a Burger King drive-thru, Norfolk, Virginia (they announced it on the radio)
OJ in Trouble (car chase) - my house, Virginia Beach
Start of the Gulf War I - my ex-girlfriend's dorm/barracks room, Keflavik, Iceland (we had broken up a couple weeks before and were in a really big argument when the news broke out on CNN)
Start of the Gulf War II - I think I was in my apartment, Boston
Death of King Hussein - Don't know
WTC Attack - At work, Boston
Kirk Gibson Home Run - You got me
Loma Prieta Earthquake (SF Quake '89) - in Diego Garcia, I guess
Challenger Disaster - Palos Verdes High School, California. I just finished a Shakespeare final (that I failed) and was on my way to History class when I heard a bunch of people talking about it
Capture of Saddam: Saw it online in my apartment in Moline, IL
Death of Princess Di: Was just getting settled into my old apartment in East Moline, IL saw in on the news and was shocked more than Versace's murder
OJ VERDICT: in the parking lot of my previous employer Walmart ugh glad that's over
OJ CHASE: watching CNN in my frat house ATO at WIU Macomb, IL
Start of the Gulf War I, Senior year of high school
Start of 2nd gulf war: shaking my head watching CNN in my aprt Moline, IL
Death of King Hussein : no clue
WTC Attack: I heard it on the radio as I was getting ready for work that morning.. jumped out all naked and wet and watched TV until I was almost late for work. We didn't work just watched TV all day. I cried for the dead and missing but couldn't stop watching. I had trouble sleeping that night depsite it being 3am.
Kirk Gibson: played for the Dodgers right, I have no clue. I don't get into baseball much
SF QUake '89 depsite my late answer I was getting ready to watch the World Series when this Quake occured watched footage all night. especially of fires in the marina district.
Challenger: Just after lunch my math teacher informed the class what happened and she broke down crying.