No, I can't remember when JFK was shot dead in Dallas. Nor can I remember when Lord Mountbatten was blown to smithereens by the IRA.
I was filling my car with petrol in the late 1970s at the local cooperative store just after hearing on the radio that Elvis had died. A friend pulled up to fill his car and he went into shock when I told him. He initially thought I was talking about a Pope who had just died. I must have said something like 'that was sad to hear about his death'.
I was in a tram with an earpiece in my ear and listening to the radio in Toorak Road (insert tram speak) as the tram descended the steep hill to Grange Road when I heard Princess Diana had been terribly injured in car crash in Paris. We know the sad outcome of that.
We were relaxing in the evening at our Balaclava house while it was morning in NYC. Whatever we were watching cut out and we saw the results of the first plane hit in NYC, 9/11. Live we saw the second plane hit. As the details came out, we thought we were heading to another world war. I stayed up too late watching events as they unfolded. Eventually I went to bed. Even my mother who never tuned into world news was fearful of a subsequent war.
I heard on 7am radio news that our Queen had died overnight. I remember going to bed that night hearing she was gravely ill, but I didn't expect she would die. As soon as R arose, I told him and he was shocked.
What are your memories of public figures dying? Like do your recall what you were doing or where you were.?
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Well, not a Celeb but a momentous death for me at least.
ReplyDeleteI had travelled all the way across to the other side of the world to New Zealand for a 50th birthday trip celebration, arriving on Christmas Day in Auckland. Woke up to see a flashing message light on our hotel room 'phone. "Please call your sister". It transpired that my much loved Dad had died that morning.
I will always remember that birthday.
Oh. I didn't think of it being personal JayCee, but that must have so sad for you when you are supposed to be having a terrific holiday.
DeleteThat is so sad.
DeleteThere are some events that are so momentous that you never forget what you doing. I was a young teenager washing up after tea when the news came on the TV about JFK's death. My daughter woke me with the news of Diana's death which I didn't believe. When 9/11 happened I was in my classroom marking books. Someone shouted to put the TV on. Once again an unbelievable event but this time we were watching it happen.
ReplyDeleteMarie, it is funny how some memories really implant themselves in your memory. I wish I could remember how I felt emotionally when 9/11 happened. It all became a bit much to take in and I went to bed.
DeleteStalker
ReplyDeleteI was n an Evonomics lesson and the Deputy interrupted our lesson via the schools loudspeaker to tell us Kennedy had died. I could hear sobs in her voice .She was our Modern European history teacher
My son in Melbourne rang me late one evening and told me to turn the TV on and to my horror it was 9/11
My other son was working In NY when the planes hit , he had been to the TC earlier for a meeting, and worked nearby. As he and his fellow workers descended from their building he saw the second plane hit. It took him 4 hours to walk uptown.He contacted my Melbourne lad when he was safe and did I cry!, . Many days later he was able to go back to his apartment to rescue the cat! No one was allowed to go back to that area after that for quite a while .It was my birthday on the 13 so for me it was the best birthday present ever that he survived. Who needs presents when life is the best present . He lives in Sydney now with his Canadian wife .
Your memories are interesting to read, Stalker. I can imagine your emotional relief when you heard your son was ok.
DeleteI remember where I was for all those, and John Lennon, and when England won the World Cup.
ReplyDeleteGood lord Tasker. When did England win the World Cup? Ah, 1966. At least I was alive by then. Ah, one more. Michael Jackson. We were in Manly, Sydney.
DeleteI went through similar surprise when I heard the passing of these famous figures. Then it was more useful for a yum cha conversation I had with family or friends.
ReplyDeleteRoentare, I wonder how your friends and family saw and talked about such events. Much the same as native English speakers I guess.
DeleteI was six years old and my beautiful teacher, Mrs. Quattroche told us our president died. We were given worksheets to do, and she sat down at her desk and cried without making a sound.
ReplyDeleteWow Anon. JFK was certainly much loved, locally and abroad too as I understand it.
DeleteI lived in Manhattan on 9/11 so I definitely remember that, even though I'd rather not. I remember both Joan Crawford and Betty Grable dying, and I was just a little kid! I know -- SO GAY!
ReplyDeleteSteve, that is rather too close for comfort. Your memories of the day and what you saw on the streets might be interesting.
DeleteJohn Lennon for me. I cried and cried.
ReplyDeleteFrogdancer, that was such a sad moment in time, but I can't remember where I was when I heard. From the top of one of those hop on hop off buses in New York, as we passed the Dakota building a darkened car was leaving the building and the guide said it was Yoko in the car.
DeleteI had just arrived in PNG when we heard of Kennedy's death. I was just waking up with a radio clock when I heard about the Twin Towers. Memory wanes after that. Just remember Diana's and the Queen's death on TV.
ReplyDeleteDiane, you must have been in bed early that evening when 9/11 happened. I think we thought our Queen would live forever. She didn't.
DeleteI was at work on 9/11. Somebody walked by and said, "The Pentagon is on fire and Bush is reading a book to a bunch of kindergartners." I did have to ask him what the hell he was talking about.
ReplyDeleteKirk, and then didn't a staffer enter the book reading and whisper into Bush's ear?
DeleteI don't remember much about public figures dying, I usually hear about it on the news or even at a later date, for instance John Lennon, I heard about his death maybe a week after it happened. I don't usually remember any dates, except for Elvis and that's only because he died on my birthday. I have even forgotten the date The Queen died. I remember it was September.
ReplyDeleteRiver, no I can't remember the date of the Queen's death. It was last year, wasn't it? I heard it at 7am and she had died only a few hours earlier. I guess birthdays and public figures dying does make them memorable.
DeleteWhen 9/11 happened my then 6 year old woke me in the morning saying that planes were flying into buildings. I thought he had been watching a cartoon or something but he was right.
ReplyDeleteWhen the announcement came that the queen was ill, I thought it was so unusual for the palace to make a statement like that, she had probably died already.
When the Port Arthur massacre happened, I saw something saying a few people had died (under 10) Then I went out and came back to reports the number was much higher. I felt that I was dreaming.
When Steve Irwin died, I wondered if it was some kind of publicity stunt.....
Kylie, I remember the phrase 'gravely ill' from the BBC about the queen. I'd forgotten about Port Arthur and I can't remember where I was but it was a running commentary when MB moved from Port Arthur to a private home. I didn't even know who Steve Irwin was until he died. Maybe I'd heard his name.
DeleteI remember the November 1963 morning (in Melbourne) when dad and I were watching JFK's catastrophic murder on tv. We thought that America was a gun-loaded nation so that even a democracy-focused US President was at great risk and should have not been in an unprotected, open car.
ReplyDeleteIn Dec 1967 I was at a wedding in a public park when Harold Holt, Australian prime minister, disappeared while swimming in Portsea. A tragic accident but not involving guns and murderers.
Hels, at least a lesson was learnt and America is no longer gunloaded. No?
DeleteHolt is a good one and I can't remember where I was then. No Chinese submarine theories for you then?
Remember all of these Andrew. Was in bed listening to the 'wireless' when the news came on telling of Elvis's death.
ReplyDelete7/11 was watching TV and it came on so continued watching in disbelief. The remainder, wouldn't have a clue what I was doing at that time. All dreadful.
Margaret, when Elvis died, we weren't really connected to media so closely then. I must have learnt the next morning.
DeleteYour experience of 9/11 is much like ours, as we watched with disbelief.
i remember these events being reported but the only one I remember with any clarity is the Twin Towers. I was watching television as I did the ironing and couldn't believe my eyes.
ReplyDeleteI think 9/11 remains vividly in my memory. It was played over and over again on the television. It was something new but also terrible. The thought of people calmly talking to their loved ones before they jumped still hits a nerve.
ReplyDeleteThelma, so true about people talking to loved ones before their deaths. The same happened with the Grenfell Tower fire, which is another that I have regained memory of. I just arrived at work as the tv was broadcasting the fire. I said to a workmate, this looks very serious.
DeleteKylie just reminded me of Steve Irwin’s death. Middle of September 2006 in a taxi van going to Honolulu airport with other Australian travellers, one mentioned he’d been ‘killed’ by a fish recently and Peter Brock had died as well in a race.
ReplyDeleteKennedy I remember- cold wet November evening in England - a daughter rang middle of the night about 9/11 ( we’d had a really early night so had no idea. Was at the Adelaide Show exhibiting some of my cats when a person mentioned Princess Diana had died. Sadly I have to admit I don’t remember the date the late Queen died
Cathy, those deaths were on the same day, roughly? I didn't know that, and you bred/showed cats!
DeleteRemembering where and what I was doing. I was extracting honey when I heard that Elvis was dead. I was home for the weekend from law school when Diana died. I was lecturing on elder abuse when the World Trade Center happened. I was changing planes in Atlanta when Eastern Airlines ceased operations (I had no idea why the airport was in chaos, we were flying KLM.)
ReplyDeleteTP, you must have been stuck in Atalanta then, if all aircraft were grounded.
DeleteJohn Lennon December 9th 1980. I woke up and put the radio news on in my rented bedsit on Harcourt Road, Sheffield and learnt that Lennon had been shot dead in New York the evening before. I scribbled a note for my friend Kirk who lived upstairs: "Lennon Is Dead". I pushed it under his door before scurrying off to work. In 2003, I saw the exact spot where he (Lennon) had been gunned down outside The Dakota Building just across the road from Central Park.
ReplyDeleteYP, I can't really remember Lenon's death and I am not sure why. Maybe it is eight years since we were in NYC and still quite a big deal is made about his death.
DeleteSo many Andrew and worthy of a post of my own. Such vividness in these announcements and yes, knowing exactly where we were when the world stopped.
ReplyDeleteXO
WWW
WWW, burnt in to our memories and we will not forget them.
DeleteI was at my office job during the Twin Towers travesty. The shop owner next door came over and asked me to turn on the television. Later, my husband picked me up for our planned lunch date; we barely ate, of course.
ReplyDeleteAnd if my memory is correct, I heard a radio broadcast about Elvis while doing laundry in the basement of my childhood home.
Darla, can you remember feeling fear when the Towers were hit? Not personal fear but fear for what the reaction would be.
DeleteKennedy is the big one for me. I was in school and the nuns came in and told us that he had been shot and that we all had to pray for him. (He was a Catholic). Then it was on TV for days.
ReplyDelete9/11 was on the radio when I woke up as the first tower had been hit. We all ran to the TV and just then the second plane hit and the whole world changed.
I hope there are no more big things like that to come in my lifetime, Andrew.
Pat, I was a bit young to remember JFK and I really think 9/11 was the big one for me. Quite so. We can do without such things happening in the future, but I am not sure that much has really been done to prevent such actions, aside from the obvious, like body searching old white women at airports.
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