Defining Moments in History: Where were you?

[604flames]

- OJ trial verdict - At school.
- Princess Diana death - Remember my mom waking me up to tell me.
- 9/11 - Grade 12 history class.
- Canada hockey gold in Vancouver - Seedy bar in Hope, BC with a buddy.
- Gretzky trade - can't remember
- Flames eliminating the Canucks in OT, game 7, 2004 - Friend's house (full of Canuck fans) in North Van.
- Challenger explosion - can't remember
- 1st Iraq Gulf war - can't remember

[puckluck]

Oj trial verdict - Don't remember and don't care.

Princess Diana death - Was on the way to a cousins house when I heard it on the radio. Everyone was in shock.

9/11 - Remember being at home getting ready for school when my parents were watching the news. The morning just felt different. Like a hush was over the city. Pretty weird feeling.

Gold in Vancouver - sitting in a pub, and then driving down the Red Mile after

Gretzky trade - don't remember

Flames eliminating the Canucks - Remember being at a pub and getting kicked out for throwing a chair after they tied it with seconds left. Ended up watching the rest at home.

Can't remember the rest.

[PIMking]

- OJ trial verdict - 3rd grade Math Class.
- Princess Diana death - I believe I was home but not 100% sure
- 9/11 - Small engine and repair class in High School.
- Canada hockey gold in Vancouver - Home still elated over the tying goal only to be crying a few moments later.
- Gretzky trade - Don't Know
- Flames eliminating the Canucks in OT, game 7, 2004 - Don't remember
- Challenger explosion - can't remember
- 1st Iraq Gulf war - I was real young and my parents were still together and my pop was just discharged from the army so it was always on TV.

[CofR]

Cool thread idea, my early 91 birthday means some don’t apply to me.

- OJ trial verdict: Too young to remember.
- Princess Diana death: Too young to remember.
- 9/11: I vividly remember waking up to go to school just in time to watch the second plane hit. I was young and didn’t get the concept that America was under attack. Terrorism was new to me I guess...
- Canada hockey gold in Vancouver: At a pub in downtown Ottawa, after the game stumbled to Parliament Hill to continue celebrating.
- Gretzky trade: Wasn’t born yet.
- Flames eliminating the Canucks in OT, game 7, 2004: I was home alone, my Mom was at work so it was just me. I remember being so pissed when the Canucks tied it in the third that I threw the remote at the wall and broke the cover for the battery part.
- Challenger explosion: Wasn’t born yet.
- 1st Iraq Gulf war: Way too young to remember.

Other events that I’ll never forget:
2002 Olympic Gold: I was at Thorncliffe Community Centre, had a bowling tournament that morning and watched the game there with all my friends from school.
Eliminating Detroit in Game 6, 2004: This is probably my greatest memory of the 04 Cup run. This is when I truly started to realize that the Flames could go all the way.
Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS when the Redsox beat the Yankees: I was raised a Redsox fan and watched that whole series at my Cousin’s house with all of my Uncles and my whole family, I was more excited after this game then I was after sweeping the Cardinals in the WS.

[Bigtime]

OJ trial verdict -I was in Grade 10 at St. Francis. We listened to the verdict come in over the radio.

Princess Diana death -My whole family and I were watching 'Dantes Peak' at home. When the movie finished the tv was on a channel that had gone live to the breaking news of her death.

9/11 -My mom woke me up saying a plane had flown into one of the World Trade Centre towers. I was training for my flight instructor rating at the time and thought something like "Some dumbass in a Cessna in bad weather must have hit it." I went upstairs and started watching CNN, quickly realizing that no light single engine aircraft could cause that kind of damage. Then as the tv feed was live from a helicopter I saw the second 767 come into the frame and strike the second tower. I'll never forget how my body just turned cold seeing that, and realizing that this was no accident. I was actually supposed to fly that day, after the towers fell I got cleaned up and headed over to the flight school at YYC. The fax notification of the closure of all Canadian and American airspace came through shortly afterwords (the SCATANA Plan, since renamed), I've kept a copy of it.

Canada hockey gold in Vancouver -I was watching the game at home with my wife and very young daughter. Jumped up screaming when we scored in OT and made my daughter cry.

Gretzky trade -I was only 7, but I remember it and the anguish of Oilers fans everywhere.

Flames eliminating the Canucks in OT, game 7, 2004 -I was at Woody's Taphouse down on Southland drive. The place went nuts. The beginning of some very good times.

Challenger explosion -I was only 4 but seem to vaguely recall seeing it on the TV.

1st Iraq Gulf war -Glued to CNN with my dad watching all the footage. I even collected the trading cards that Pro Set made for it.

[troutman]

OJ - we watched the white bronco chase in Vancouver - this was the same week that the Rangers beat the Canucks in the SCF (the 30 in 30 documentary on that day is interesting)

Diana - I was in Berlin

9/11 - was my wife's birthday - saw the second plane hit the tower live on CNN - felt sick to my stomach all day

Canada Gold - @ FATS - was ok, but not half as good as 2004

Game 7, 2004 - @ Pixies concert at Mac Hall - saw VAN tie the game at The Den, but was too angry to watch the O/T. Heard CGY won driving home, so went to another pub

Kurt Cobain - I heard the news in Argentina

[Frequitude]

- OJ trial verdict ...in grade 8 computer class
- Princess Diana death ...at Eau Claire watching that Alicia Silverstone movie, Excess Baggage, with my sister and her friend
- 9/11 ...heard it on the radio in my bed at rez
- Canada hockey gold in Vancouver ...snuck into the fancy people lounge at the Toronto Airport to watch
- Gretzky trade ...don't remember
- Flames eliminating the Canucks in OT, game 7, 2004 ...in my buddy's basement at university
- Challenger explosion ...don't remember
- 1st Iraq Gulf war ...don't remember


Crazy how in detail I can remember most of those.

[Cowperson]

- OJ trial verdict: It was early morning on Maui. We waited for the verdict which I believe was about 8 a.m. local time, were astonished and then went out to enjoy a Hawaiian day.

- Princess Diana death: I had a new computer and was testing dial-up by looking at USA Today's website on the internets. Marvelous thing!! And saw the headline of an accident, then ran to the TV to watch the coverage.

- 9/11: I had just turned onto the highway from my country aerie when I heard news of the first plane. I was almost at my office in a rural community when I heard news of the second plane and then, everyone knew it was an attack and not an accident. No tv at the office and the internets were jammed but finally figured out CNN Financial was a way to see the first images. Cancelled an appointment for the morning and went home. Mrs. Cowperson had been watching people falling to their deaths when I got there. Watched the towers fall. Went to New York and saw the site a few years later.

- Canada hockey gold in Vancouver: Standing out in my field. Couldn't stand to watch.
- Gretzky trade: Didn't care.
Flames eliminating the Canucks in OT, game 7, 2004: Listening on the radio as I worked on my computer. Neither Mrs. Cowperson and I could watch anymore after the late tying goal. When Gelinas scored we both got in front of the TV and watched the celebration.
- Challenger explosion: In the newsroom of a daily newspaper and saw the first words crossing my screen. "The Space Shuttle Challenger has exploded over south Florida. Details to follow." That took a few seconds to settle in then all hell broke loose.

- 1st Iraq Gulf war: Long expected so the actual moment was anti-climatic. Can't remember where I was.

Other events that I’ll never forget:

- Leafs win Stanley Cup, 1967 - my mother was crying in a cloud of cigarette smoke as our grainy, 13 inch black and white television showed the final moments in a dimly lit living room. Scarred me for life.

- Paul Henderson scores in Moscow - I had walked home from school for lunch and started back to school when it was 5-3. Classes were forgotten and every room at school had a television in it. I watched Henderson score at school with kids and teachers cheering. Just like every other kid in Canada that day.

- Elvis dies - Working as a farm hand in the summer, standing outside on a lawn tossing a ball back and forth with the owner when the wife comes out and tells us the news. It was a beautiful, sunny, warm day.

Cowperson

[Northendzone]

thanks to those that answered "i wasn't born yet" to any of the events - it makes me feel really old.....

how come nobody notes where they were when the first heard details of "the segway" (aka ginger) - at one point some of this generations deepest thinkers had mused that this thing was going to change how cities were built.......

[Huntingwhale]

- OJ trial verdict - In elemetary school, grade 6. We all started celebrating his innocence and even sang a song about it.
- Princess Diana death - Camping with my family, and my aunt and uncles family.
- 9/11 - On the C-train in grade 12. My buddy told me there was a huge terrorist attack in the states and I never really comprehended the scale of it until we got to my math class and all we did was watch CNN.
- Canada hockey gold in Vancouver - At my buddies house having a heart attack the entire time!
- Gretzky trade - Live in San Francisco and had no idea what happened.
- Flames eliminating the Canucks in OT, game 7, 2004 - Just got off work and was watching the game in the pub at my work with some co-workers. The greatest feeling in the world and driving down Mcleod Trail going home is something I will never forget.
- Challenger explosion - Dont' remember
- 1st Iraq Gulf war - I vaguely remember my Dad talking about a war overseas, but I was too young to realise what was happening.

[Buff]

OJ trial verdict - At Lethbridge College, in The Cave, skipping class to watch the verdict.

Princess Diana death - At 7-11 getting a slurpee and a magazine with my wife (girlfriend at the time), then back to my place to watch it on TV with my dad.

9/11 - Working at Canadian Tire. Worked 6am -2pm that day. So I turned on the TV for the auto center and immediately saw the news as they were unfolding. Called my supervisor who was up in the office and he thought I was playing another joke on him.

Canada hockey gold in Vancouver - In my living room with my wife and two boys. My wife was too nervous to watch, she had a blanket over her head. It was also her birthday.

Gretzky trade - Not entirely sure where I was when the news broke, but my dad called me upstairs to tell me about the trade. Either that same day, or the next morning.

Flames eliminating the Canucks in OT, game 7, 2004 - In my living room. Sitting in the same chair I watched all the games in that playoff season (except for Game 6 of the final).

Challenger explosion - In school. Grade 5, at Guy Weadick. Teacher was Mr. Boucher

1st Iraq Gulf war - Playing street hockey when the war broke out. My friend's sister came out to tell us that the fighting started. We were all macho and like "Oh, ok".

JFK assassination - not born yet
man on the moon - No way! That's great! We landed on the moon!
Berlin wall - In school. Grade 9. Too young/too cool to care about grasping the significance of it all.

I find it funny how something like Game 7 vs Vancouver gets put into the same grouping as many of these other events.

[Bigtime]

Has anyone asked where you were on May 25, 1989?

I was at our home in Hawkwood watching the game, I remember running around cheering like crazy when we won.

[Mazrim]

- OJ trial verdict - I saw stuff on the news but at the time I was too young to care about some guy I didn't know.

- Princess Diana death - We were watching Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman or whatever that show was called. The climax of the show was interrupted by the breaking news. My mom started crying. (She got up at 4am or whatever ungodly hour it was to watch the funeral)

- 9/11 -Being in BC, the first plane hitting was really damn early in the morning. My dad woke me up early so I could watch. I got out of the shower in time to watch the second plane hit. Saw the first tower collapse (it remains the only time I've ever heard my dad say "holy ####" in my life), went to jazz band practice, saw the second tower collapse there, and for the rest of the day our teachers forced us to pretend everything was normal. Only in one class did they let us watch TV. I watched Tower 7 collapse during my spare. I got home and watched TV for like 6 hours that night.

- Canada hockey gold in Vancouver - At home with friends. The girlfriend couldn't take the stress and went on the computer. Even in the deep south you could hear so many horns going off.

- Gretzky trade - Don't remember

- Flames eliminating the Canucks in OT, game 7, 2004 - At home with family. Nothing special unfortunately, and I was surrounded by Canucks fans.

- Challenger explosion - I was 2 years old. Nothing to remember.

- 1st Iraq Gulf war - I can only remember my dad watching CNN and seeing lots of night vision shots on TV.

The Salt Lake Gold Medal game meant a lot to me too. It was awesome having church end early just so people could watch the game.

[Hanni]

- OJ trial verdict - Too young to really care, but remember seeing it on the news.

- Princess Diana death - at a family anniversary party, everybody gathered around the tv, talked about how sad it was and then went back to partying.

- 9/11 -Watching the news before school in the morning. I remember girls at school freaking out like they actually thought terrorists were going to attack our high school in small town Alberta. Then the power went out just before noon and even more panic.

- Canada hockey gold in Vancouver - in a friends basement with 10 guys in team Canada jerseys all jumping around in a giant group hug.

-Salt Lake gold medal game we were supposed to have a gold medal game for our midget tournament, both teams voted and decided to skip playing in favor of watching the game. Driving around town after the game, honking, waving a team Canada flag on a hockey stick out the window.

- Gretzky trade - too young.

- Flames eliminating the Canucks in OT, game 7, 2004 - Friends basement, half Flames fans, half Canucks fans and rubbing it right in their faces.

- Challenger explosion - too young

- 1st Iraq Gulf war - all I remember about the war was watching the news at Christmas and them showing soldiers in the desert with Santa hats on.

[Radio]

- OJ trial verdict. Can't remember, at work probably.

- Princess Diana death. Had just arrived at my mom's near Edson, watched the coverage on TV.

- 9/11. Was on vacation and sleeping in when my wife woke me...very surreal. I had to push my vacation out by a couple of weeks to travel to D.C. for work. During some time off we went to the Pentagon to see if there were any tours. We parked on by the renos and as we were walking up I noticed planes flying right over top on their way to Reagan. I commented to my colleagues that I thought it strange that they would allow planes to fly over it...what if one crashed in to it.

- Canada hockey gold in Vancouver. Watching on TV at home.

- Gretzky trade. Don't remember

- Flames eliminating the Canucks in OT, game 7, 2004. Working late, listening on the radio...'feels shame'

- Challenger explosion. Don't remember

- 1st Iraq Gulf war. Working..probably

[tvp2003]

One event that stands out for me is Donovan Bailey winning gold and setting a new world record in the 100m at the 1996 Olympics. I remember where I was and still get chills thinking about it...

[bradster57]

- Princess Diana death - I think I just got back from the movies- it could have been Beavis & Butthead Do America

- 9/11 - driving to University in Lethbridge. Heard about it on the morning show radio, thought they were joking until I saw it on tv.

- Canada hockey gold in Vancouver - At home watching with family!

- Flames eliminating the Canucks in OT, game 7, 2004 - at the YYC picking up my Mom. I saw Lanny McDonald there that night too!

[Dion]

OJ trial verdict - A&B Sound by the Bay downtown. Staf fand customers were glued to the TV as the verdict was read. Then came a collective OMG how did he get off. Everyone was stunned with the not guilty verdict.

Princess Diana death - I was visiting my brother at his lake house in northern Minnesota.

9/11 - I was home sick with the flu. I woke up and turned on the TV to see the planes crashing into the World Trade Centre buildings. At first I thought I had clicked on some action flick movie and then it quickly dawned on that this was for real.

Later that night I found out my brother was flying enroute to Boston when the planes crashed into the WTC buildings. His flight like all others was diverted to the nearest airport. My brothers flight ended up landing in Detroit. He came off the plane to see passengers glued to the TV's with many crying in disbelief. There was also utter kaos in the aiport terminal as people were franticly trying to rent a vehicle. Many didn't get a vehicle and were searching for people in the rental lots for someone they could share a ride home with. In the end my brother rented a van with 4 others guys for the trip back to Minneapolis. He later told me that he had no fears of flying as he knew that if he didn't get on those planes the terrorists would have won.

When the planes began to fly again there was a deathly silence on the planes. Passemgers were quite nervous and still numb from what had happened. It took quite awhile for passengers to feel comfortable flying again.

Canada hockey gold in Vancouver - At a buddies place watching the game.

Gretzky trade - I was at a pub having a few brews with some co - workers when the trade went down. Everyone was shocked that it happened. Then came the rumours that Gretz's new wife Janet wanted out of Edmonton. Of course the press media in Edmonton sanped that up and were brutal on Janet accusing her of taking thier beloved Wayne away from them.

Flames eliminating the Canucks in OT, game 7, 2004 - Was in a bar when Gelinas scored the winner. The place went bonkers and everyone

Challenger explosion - I was at work when the explosion took place. A customer came up to me and explained what had happened.

1st Iraq Gulf war - I was at a buddies place whne the war started up. I remeber being glued to the TV watching all the CNN updates on what was going on.

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by hmmhmmcamo

Hey CP, somehow the wife and I started talking about major historical events that you remember exactly where you were/who you were with when it happened. So far (for our generation) we’ve come up with (in no particular order)

(1) OJ trial verdict
(2) Princess Diana death
(3) 9/11
(4) Canada hockey gold in Vancouver
(5) Gretzky trade
(6) Flames eliminating the Canucks in OT, game 7, 2004
(7) Challenger explosion
(8) 1st Iraq Gulf war

We know there are many others...
-JFK assassination
-man on the moon
-Berlin wall

(1) don't remember, but I am sure I made a racist remark
(2) on a date; I remember the tearful waitress informing me of what happened - I shrugged and said "better her than me". Tearful waitress shocked by cold heart
(3) driving to work with my 1st wife, then watching CNN all day at work
(4) watching at home with mild interest, mostly in hope of seeing Luongo choke
(5) Toronto
(6) Barcelona
(7) Don't remember
(8) at U of C playing bridge in the... (fata, forgot the name of that loung in the social sciences building). My friend turned to me and said "war is good for digestion"

[mykalberta]

OJ verdict - who knows.
Princess Diana - dont care
9/11 - working part time at YEG when Northwest plane came back because of a "bird strike"
Gretzkey Trade - coming back from first vacation to US to Disneyland. Stopped to get gas at some small town and saw it on the front page of the Herald.
Flames Elminiating Canucks - FATS bar in Sunnyside.
Challenger explosion - first family move year before grade 1.
1st Gulf war - not sure, I do remember the neon green light show.
Michael Jackson dying - seriously, thats a significant moment in history - really?

I was in Athens Greece watching the game in greek durring the Salt Lake City gold medal (for me that is far more memorable than Vancouver). Athens police knocked on our door because we were apparently being too noisey at 5 am